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I’m back from my summer travels, and it was actually rather lovely to fly in and see the patchwork of fields below (it enchants me every time) knowing that we have the autumn months to look forward to. Being away from home for 3 weeks means I’ve seen huge changes in the new borders I planted up in spring, and I’m so pleased I resisted the temptation to overplant them as the extra room left around each plant has allowed for natural growth. The borders now look full to bursting (although I’m itching to pop in the spring flowering bulbs, and will do so in the next few days).

So – where to start? As we all know, autumn is one of the busiest times of the gardening year, as you start to bed everything down in preparation for the winter months. Any work you put into your garden now will produce big rewards next year, helping it to leap into next spring with renewed vigour. The list of garden tasks that Sally has produced may seem a bit daunting, but remember you don’t have to do them all at once, and you really will reap the benefits.

I know I mention it every autumn at some point, but please bear with me …. we have new customers receiving this autumn newsletter for the first time, who might not know that incorporating well rotted horse manure and gravel into your garden soil will improve it enormously, benefiting all your plants, shrubs and trees. (The only place to avoid using manure is around acid loving plants, such as camellias, azaleas, and heathers).

• Gravel helps to break down clay. We all know how our London soil is predominantly made up of clay, which (whilst fertile) turns into solid rock-like soil in summer, and a waterlogged quagmire in winter. This is because it is formed from tightly packed platelets. Gravel gets between those platelets, opening up the soil’s structure.
• Well rotted horse manure not only provides exceptional slow release fertilizer to the soil, but also improves its structure by helping to retain water in the drier months.

Thus, a combination of the two will dramatically improve your soil.

Both are in stock, and for September, we have a

SPECIAL OFFER - BUY 3, GET 4TH FREE
(on any combination of gravel and manure, while stocks last)

Come and load the car up now!

We have some lovely new plant stock in, including our usual autumn delivery of large trees and shrubs from Tuscany. Do come and have a look at some of the gorgeous items I’ve selected this time, including lovely autumn flowering Camellia sasanqua (still not very well known in this country), fiery Nandina domestica, and magnificent Magnolia grandiflora.

It’s also Spring Bulb planting time again (comes round fast, doesn’t it??!). As always, we can’t guarantee that we’ll be able to re-stock items once they run out, so if there are particular bulbs you definitely want, please make sure you get them as soon as possible. We have an informative “how to plant bulbs” sheet by the till. Do ask for one if you feel unsure.

There are lots of new items arriving in the shop this month, including divine home and bathroom goodies from Heyland and Whittle, colourful aprons, lanterns and other items from Danish company “Life’s a Party”, more wonderful “Turtlemat” doormats in a range of new designs as well as old favourites, Swedish designed and made brooms, brushes and household items from Iris, cards, gel gems, fruit magnet boards …. the list goes on and on.

At the time of writing, I’m looking forward to my next big spending spree at a huge antiques fair in Sussex, so come and see what new treasures I’ve found.

Lastly, please remember to look after the wildlife in your garden as well as the plant life. The birds rely on us during the coming months to keep them fed and watered. If you don’t do so already, start adding fat balls or suet blocks in your bird feeding regime as they need the extra calories these provide when the weather turns colder.

Kindest regards

Karen

PS   

Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday 9am - 6pm, Sunday 10am – 4pm   

Tel:020 8670 7788 www.alleynpark.co.uk

Garden Jobs for September

Everything seems to have been a month ahead of itself this year so I wonder whether we’re about to see the entire autumn colour show in September? It’s something I look forward to every year. We’ve had sun and rain all through the summer here in London, and things have grown really well, haven’t they?

Planting

Trees, shrubs, herbaceous plants….. autumn is an ideal time for planting. The ground is warm and roots have a chance to get established before the winter cold. Autumn-planted trees, shrubs and perennials often have a head start on those planted in the spring, putting energy into top growth at the first hint of warmth in the spring.

Always dig a large hole, at least twice the depth and width of the pot if possible, and backfill with a good organic compost (or ericaceous compost if the plant requires acidic compost). To aid establishment, especially in poor soil, sprinkle some Mycorrhizal fungi (Rootgrow) in the bottom of the planting hole, so that it is in touch with the roots. Water your new plants in well, and continue to water them regularly through the autumn and, if we have a dry one, through the winter as well.

It’s a good idea to mulch around new plantings. Mulching with a good organic compost or manure provides a layer of organic matter that does several things:

• it slowly releases fertilizer during the coming months.
• it suppresses weeds.
• it helps retain water.

Bulbs

Start planting spring-flowering bulbs now for a fabulous display next year. Most bulbs can be planted from late summer until late autumn. Daffodils should be planted as soon as possible to get some good root growth, tulips are best planted in November in the cooler temperatures to avoid infection by tulip fire, and so that their shoots don’t appear too early and get frosted in the spring.

Plant your bulbs at the right depth – a general rule is a depth equivalent to three times their own height, but the packs always give planting instructions.

Bulbs brighten up borders, lawns, empty ground under deciduous trees – bury them anywhere in the garden which will benefit from some spring colour! Most bulbs prefer well drained fertile soil. Dig in some good garden compost to improve the soil, and add grit or gravel to the bottom of the planting hole.

Alternatively, plant up containers, either with one variety of bulb, or with a combination of, say, crocus, narcissi and tulips, which are planted at different depths and will flower in succession. Several pots of the same tulip will give a lovely display along a path in spring, or can be dropped into a gap in the border.

Garden maintenance

It’s worth mounding a good layer of compost or horse manure around established trees and shrubs, including fruit trees, roses and wisteria. They’ll really benefit from an autumn feed, and will produce stronger growth and more flowers in the spring if mulched now.

Herbaceous perennials which have got too big in their allotted space, or which look tired, can be divided – this generates free plants!

Prepare areas for new planting next year by digging in good quality, well rotted horse manure. If possible, dig down at least one spade depth. The winter frosts will break the soil up even more, making less work for you in the spring.

Alternatively, sow a green manure onto empty patches of ground, especially in the vegetable garden. This is a crop which is grown, cut before it sets seed and then dug into the soil to provide nitrates and other good things, essential for healthy plant growth.

Give evergreen hedges their final trim of the year

Pot up tender herbs such as basil and bring them indoors for the winter.

Extend the summer season by deadheading and feeding hanging baskets and containers.

Prune late summer flowering shrubs once their show is over. Lavender can be pruned to keep it neat and tidy – cut within the green stems.

Cover ponds with net to prevent leaves falling in, and net fruit trees to protect precious fruit from the birds.

Keep picking raspberries, and prune the canes once fruiting is over.

Remove fallen fruit from around trees and shrubs before it rots.

Fix grease bands round the trunks of apple trees to trap the wingless female winter moths as they try to climb the trunk to lay their eggs (which would turn into bud eating caterpillars!).

Root vegetables can be lifted and stored, but it’s best to leave parsnips and swedes in the ground to be frosted as this improves their flavour.

Lawns

When the weather begins to cool, lawns benefit from an Autumn workover – in 3 easy steps:

• Scarify – this removes old “thatch” (dead grass) and moss – use a springy rake to clear the congestion that has built up over the growing season.
• Aerate – to improve drainage and help protect against a build up of moss – use an aerator designed specifically for the job, or a fork.
• Fertilise – a thin layer of lawn dressing (a combination of top soil, sand and fertilizers) or horticultural sand, should be raked or brushed to fill the holes created by aerating. This will improve drainage and avoid winter waterlogging.

September is an excellent time lay a new lawn with cut turfs, as they will establish their roots quickly, without putting on too much top growth, avoiding the need to mow. Additionally, you are less likely to damage the newly laid turf as the temptation to be out on the lawn is reduced in the cooler autumn months than in the spring. You can also revitalise patches in your lawn that are worn out, either with seed or by cutting in new turfs.

Use a lawn weed killer to control perennial weeds before the weather cools.

Pests and disease

The two most common queries and problems I’ve been asked about recently are slugs/snails and mildew.

Powdery mildew causes a powdery white coating on leaves, stems, shoots, buds and flowers, and contains fungal spores. Dry soil and lack of air circulation can increase incidence and damage.

To control and minimize the problem, regular watering and mulching will help. Humidity increases infection - prune out overcrowded stems to improve air movement and make sure that climbing plants have space between them and the wall or fence.

You can use a fungicide at first sign of symptoms.

At the end of the season, remove and dispose of dead and diseased plant debris to ensure that you’ve removed spores which could spread mildew next year.

Slimy slugs and snails – these are so destructive aren’t they?! There are humane methods like beer traps, or trusty old slug pellets.

There are a couple of things you can do to reduce the population – keep the garden clean and tidy, and reduce the adult population. Adults lay eggs in moist soil, or under rocks or containers, or in garden debris. Eggs hatch in 2 to 4 weeks – eeek!

Hand-picking and disposing of slugs and snails works - if you gather up all the adults before they reproduce, things will get dramatically better, because the tiny ones you miss don't do the most damage.

Next year, use slug pellets really early in the season, almost before you see the first slippery enemy – stop them in their tracks!

Have a good month, enjoy the glorious autumn colour, and get ready for more work in the garden in October.

Sally

Opening Hours:– Monday - Saturday 9:00am - 6:00pm Sunday 10:00am - 4:00pm

Tel:020 8670 7788 www.alleynpark.co.uk