THE VENDÉE MONTHLY
Love Your Garden by Babs Kolthammer
The gardens are still full of wonderful autumn colour with asters, Japanese anemones fuchsias, phlox and echinacea still flowering, although these are valiant last attempts on the part of the plants! The feel and smell of the air is changing and contains that slightly damp, decaying leaf aroma that indicates that the outward signs of growth are coming to a subtle end. The temperatures are definitely cooler and I have my fleece at the ready! I have prepared all my half hardy fuchsias for their overwintering in the greenhouse, by weeding the pots, making sure all dead foliage is removed from surface of pots and there is no visible sign of fungal infection. I will reduce the stems by half just before I put them away and water the compost with vine weevil killer to protect them from damage by this pest. I will check during the following weeks and remove foliage that may have accumulated on the pots’ surfaces to ensure that grey mould doesn’t develop. It helps to keep the greenhouse ventilated on all but the coldest days. In my other ramshackle greenhouse I keep the cuttings I have already taken from the fuchsias, penstemons, phygelius, sage, and carnations and have split several hostas to increase my stock for next year and also to serve as ‘insurance’ against any winter losses. I sowed grass seed on bald patches of the ‘lawn’ in October and these have germinated well. I was recently chatting with a group of local Vendéen gardeners and it’s always great to exchange tips, ideas, cuttings and seeds and to learn from each other. Best of all I love the enthusiasm, knowledge and general love of gardening that exists amongst such a group. I really enjoyed those couple of hours! Even though the garden is slowing down, there’s still plenty to do! Now is the time to: Plant any daffodils/narcissus bulbs that have been overlooked or it will be a bit late for them to put on the growth and food production that they need to make good flowers. Continue to plant tulips. If you have prepared some potted bulbs for Christmas, now is the time to bring them into the light to encourage flowering. It’s the last opportunity to divide and replant perennials (such as phlox, asters, hostas) and grasses. Mulch the crowns to protect from severe frosts. Protect containers from freezing by standing pots on feet to encourage free drainage and wrap any precious ones in bubble wrap to prevent cracking. Mulch hosta plants in pots when all the foliage has been removed. Any mulch can be used, even small pebbles, it helps to deter snails and protects the developing shoots. Hostas are very hardy and don’t need to be brought inside during the winter. Clear borders, pots and hanging baskets of summer bedding, remembering to save geraniums which can be overwintered in a frost free, light spot (or take cuttings of them to regenerate your plants for next year. These cuttings can be taken in the usual way, but don’t dampen the compost too much as the hairs on the geranium leaves trap moisture very easily and this can lead to
mildew.) Replant pots and baskets with ivy, winter flowering pansies, violas, mini hebes, cyclamen and heathers to keep the winter colourful. Cut down annual climbers such as sweet peas and add the trimmings to the compost heap. Tuberous begonias can be overwintered by leaving to dry out in their pots. The foliage will die back and the stems dry and break away, leaving the ‘tuber’ in the compost. Don’t water and leave in the pot; If preferred, the tuber can be lifted and stored in a dry place until next spring. Plant fruit/nut trees such as apple, quince, hazel and redcurrant. Grapevines can be planted now, but leave pruning these until February/March. Winter prune existing fruit trees if not already done. Plant bare root roses, shrubs and deciduous trees. Soak all bare root plants in a bucket of water before planting. Apply grease bands to the trunks of fruit trees to deter codling moths. Rhubarb crowns can still be lifted and divided, discarding any brown or soggy central parts. Evergreen trees can dry out in dry windy weather, so will need watering especially if recently planted. Spray peach and nectarine trees with bordelaise mixture to prevent peach leaf curl (or try the egg shell in a net bag tied to the branches remedy!) Remove suckers from around the trunks and bases of trees. Check that tree ties are not too tight and that post supports are still firmly in the ground. Take root cuttings of oriental poppies, Japanese anemones, sea holly (eryngium) and acanthus. Just remove some earth from around the base of the parent plant, enough to expose the roots, select a ‘meaty’ portion about 7cms long and plant on the surface of compost. Cover with grit and water in. Garlic cloves and shallots can still be planted in beds or pots. Plant Amaryllis bulbs now to flower in late December or January. Place the bulb on the surface of potting compost and just lightly add compost around it, it doesn’t need to be buried; water and leave in a dry dark place and bring out into the light when the first leaf begins to show. The bulbs are available in the garden centres now. The flowers are very colourful and the size impressive! Spike lawns with a garden fork in areas where there is compaction or drainage is poor. Scatter sharp sand over these areas to further help drainage. Give lawn mowers a good clean and drain off the fuel tank..…perhaps a service would be a good idea?? Take hardwood cuttings from cornus, spirea and roses. Cut a piece of stem, about 20cms long, just below a leaf joint and push into a pot of compost. If preferred, you can dig a small trench and plant these cuttings directly outside. The cuttings need to be planted fairly deeply, covering the leaf joint………then forget them until the spring, when new leaf growth should be seen. Start thinking and planning what changes you’d like to make in the garden next year. Go online, research new plants and seeds, but whatever you do…enjoy your gardening! You can contact Babs by email:123sissinghurst456@gmail.com
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