What a glorious autumn we’re experiencing as I write this. The warmth, blue skies and sun make it a complete joy. Walking into the centre early this morning, while the sun was still relatively low, and seeing the golden and bronze Helenium and Rudbekia lit from behind was quite literally breath-taking. Hurray for autumn, I say!

However, the arctic blast is imminent and winter really is approaching. With it comes our annual reminder about Christmas trees …

Christmas Trees

Our stock of Nordman (non dropping) trees will start arriving at the end of the month from our usual source (a small family-run business in Belgium). The trees are cut-to-order from sustainable stock, to ensure you get the freshest trees possible. As those of you who have been buying our trees over the last few years know, you just cannot beat our trees for quality.

This year we are again offering our unique Christmas tree service, which includes 10% off the price of all pre-ordered trees:

Pre-order and pay for your Christmas tree by 30^th November, either over the phone or in the garden centre (stipulating exactly what you want in terms of height and shape), and we’ll reserve your tree as soon as the delivery arrives, knock 10% off the price, and deliver it locally, free of charge, on the day you want it. You can, of course, come by and check that you’re happy with the tree we’ve picked out for you prior to delivery (and change it if necessary, while stocks last).

We believe this personalised service will not only save you time and hassle but will ensure that you receive the size and shape tree that you want.

The price of the trees remains the same as last year:

3’ (90cm) £28

4’ (1.2m) £38

5’ (1.5m) £48

6’ (1.8m) £58

7’ (2.1m) £78

8’ (2.4m) £98

9’ (2.7m) £118

10’ (3m) £138

We can whittle down the base of your tree to fit a stand, and deliver it together with a Christmas tree stand (£17.50) if you need one.

Don’t delay – book yours today!

What else is happening at the garden centre this month?

Book Signing Event

On Saturday 17^th November, from 11am to 1pm, the author Debora Robertson will be here to sign copies of her book ‘Gifts from the Garden’. It’s full of inspiring and beautiful ideas for presents you can make at home using items from your garden. At this time of austerity and making do, the book has some fabulous ideas for easy-to-make, lovely-to-receive, gifts - from simple seed packets, teacup planters and scented sugars to cucumber night cream, table decorations and lavender hand warmers. Along with another 94 ideas, these are all beautifully depicted and photographed in this gorgeous book. The book itself makes a great gift too, of course! Put the date in your diary so you don’t forget.

Autumn plants

Many of the plants and shrubs that herald in Autumn, and look good through winter, are in stock … Cornus (Dogwood) with their vibrant stems; Gaultheria laden with surreal-looking berries. The number of varieties of Heuchera is mind boggling, and you’llfind some of the best here at the moment, from the aptly named ‘Marmalade’, to darkest ‘Obsidian’. And as for the Acers …they are just incredible!

Next to all of these, we get a peek at winter, with the first of the Cyclamen making an appearance, and Skimmia Kew Green , Vibernum tinus and Camellia sasanqua already promising colour and form in the months to come.

Spring flowering bulbs and plants

It’s not too late to plant daffodils and narcissi, tulips and alliums, along with snowdrops, bluebells, iris reticulata and muscari…. so buy your spring bulbs now before they sell out.

Unfortunately, the awful summer we’ve been through has had a profound effect on many of our growers, and our wallflower growers have been particularly badly hit. I’ve had an email this morning to say that they have decided the quality of the rest of the plants in the ground is just not good enough, and they won’t be able to deliver any more. There are a few packs left from the couple of deliveries we did manage to get, so …. first come, first served.

Wildlife

I’m not talking about Basil (who’s already started to put on his winter ‘padding’!) but about the birds. Please don’t forget to keep them fed. Adding fat balls and suet blocks to your feeding regime now will help them, as they need the extra calories as the weather turns colder. We’ve just got in a delivery of wooden bird feeders and nesting boxes, made by hand in the UK, and painted in soft muted tones to blend into your garden beautifully.

50% sale continues

On a trolley outside our gates, we have plants on sale. Canny gardeners will know that buying herbaceous perennials now (even though they have gone past their best) rather than in the spring, means they’ll be stronger and larger next year. They may not look like much at the moment, but you’ll be smugly smiling next year if you plant them now.

As always, Sally has produced a very informative ‘garden tasks’ sheet below, to inspire you to get into your garden before it’s too late!

Vintage

Tash and I had a successful trip to an antique fair recently, and picked up some lovely pieces …. exquisite genuine kadai cooking pots, French and Swedish enamelware, an incredible kitchen tool storage board, and lots more besides. To help make space for all the new stock, we have reduced the price on some other vintage items. There's now  a "Sales Table" displaying all the reduced pieces. Come and have a rummage through the treasures!

Gifts and home-ware

We’re slowly stocking up on more items in preparation for that celebration at the end of December that we know will suddenly be upon us. There will be lots more coming in during the weeks to come too, so keep popping in to check out ideas for presents. To whet your appetite we’ve already got in a wonderful range of True Grace candles in evocative winter scents –Cinnamon and Clove, Forest, Fig, Log Fire, Sandalwood and Ginger Grass, and Cedar.

Hope to see you soon!

With warm wishes

Karen

Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday 9.30am – 5.30pm, Sunday 10am – 4pm

Opening Hours November: 10.00am – 4.00pm Everyday

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

Garden jobs for Autumn

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) is campaigning this autumn, to encourage us to make the most of this very important time in the gardening year. Traditionally, autumn was the time for planting, but with the move away from bare rooted plants to plastic containers over the last few decades, we can now plant all year round. However, many trees, shrubs, herbaceous perennials and, of course, bulbs, are better planted in the autumn. There are lots of other things to be getting on with in the garden too, as we head for the quieter months of winter.

Planting

The reason for planting at this time of year is because the soil is still warm and there’s time for lots of activity below ground, with roots active enough to establish before the winter. Deciduous trees and shrubs, and flowering perennials will all perform better in their first summer if planted now.

If you are planting in new ground, or recently cleared ground, dig in some good compost or horse manure. Most people reading this live in London and most of us have clay soil. A clay soil is nutritious and will support many plants, but you need to improve the drainage so that plants don’t sit in wet soil in the winter, and bake in dried out soil in the summer. Breaking down clay with good organic compost and digging in some grit will help drainage.

Autumn and winter colour

Plant containers with winter pansies, violas, cyclamen; evergreen perennials such as Heuchera and evergreen ferns do well in containers too. Try using small shrubs for evergreen height and structure which can be planted out in the garden when they outgrow the pot. All you will need to do is replace the bedding in spring and autumn.

Have a look at plants in the garden with worthy seed heads for winter structure and interest such as Sedums, Echinacea, and various Eryngium as they all have lovely profiles. As well as looking good, many seed heads are a food source for birds.

Spring colour

Karen has already mentioned bulbs – they really are worth a bit of effort in the next month or two.

• Outdoors, November is the best time to plant Alliums and Tulips, as long as the ground isn’t frozen or waterlogged. A handful of grit in the planting hole will aid drainage.
• Bumper packs of tulips enable you to plant in larger numbers for a bigger impact, or to have several pots of the same tulip lining a path, or dotted as focal points around the garden next year.
• If you can’t work out where to plant snowdrops, they can be planted in pots, with a 50:50 compost and sharp sand mix, and put out in the winter months when you see a gap. The same process can be used with cyclamen coum, a very pretty little cyclamen which will naturalise over a few years.
• For a lovely potful of colour next year, layer bulbs in a pot. Try tulips on the bottom layer, dwarf narcissi, and then grape hyacinths. When they come up in the spring, pop in a collar of pansies or violas to show them off.
• Indoors – bowls of Hyacinth and indoor Narcissi are easy to do and will fill rooms with scent later in the winter, and Amaryllis make a fantastic display. A general rule of thumb with indoor bulbs is to plant them 4-6 weeks before you want the flowers.

Garden maintenance

Leaf fall

• As the leaves begin to fall, keep up with clearing them. Leaves sitting on the lawn deprive the grass of light.
• Get rid of any diseased leaves the rest can be composted, but remember that leaves can take longer to break down than other things you put on the compost heap.
• Alternatively, you can try leaf mould. If you don’t have a separate area to compost leaves in this way, a few bin liners will do the job. Make sure you moisten the leaves sporadically, and in two years’ time you’ll have rich dark compost.
• Cover ponds with net to prevent leaves falling in, but leave access for wildlife.

Plant maintenance

• Lift and divide herbaceous perennials and replant the strongest portions. Later flowering perennials should be left until the spring before dividing them – enjoy them now!
• Cut back and compost summer bedding and annuals.
• If you have plants with attractive seed heads, leave them in situ to enjoy their winter silhouettes, or cut them to dry for winter arrangements – keep some, such as Alliums, to be used for Christmas decorations.
• 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.
• Prune climbing roses and tie in the stems of these and other climbers to prevent wind damage.
• Acers, birches, walnuts and laburnum are better pruned now than after mid-winter, when they may ‘bleed’.

General maintenance

Before the winter is upon us, it’s worth having a good clean and tidy around the garden, fixing, mending and storing away.

• Check fences and trellis and repair as necessary.
• Clear away any remaining debris form vegetable gardens and containers.
• Drain and put away irrigation hoses and equipment to avoid freezing.
• Clean paths, decking and patio areas.

Fruit

• Whatever fruit is left on apple, pear and other fruit trees should be picked now.
• If you are storing fruit, choose only ‘perfect’ fruit, with no sign of damage or disease. Pack dry fruits in a single layer in crates, not touching, and with good air circulation. Karen has just reminded me that she recently acquired some lovely French apple crates – have a look in our vintage section!

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

Preparing for cold temperatures

Will we have rain or snow, warmth or cold this winter? Without knowing, it’s worth being prepared.

• A good layer of compost or horse manure around established trees and shrubs, including fruit trees, roses and wisteria will be of benefit, and help to produce stronger growth and more flowers in the spring.
• Mulch around more tender plants to keep their roots warmer. Bark or other materials can be used to help trap the summer warmth in the soil.
• Check your stock of fleece to protect delicate plants and bubble wrap to protect pots.
• Make space in greenhouses and conservatories to bring tender potted plants inside.
• Stand pots on feet or bricks to prevent water logging.

Pests and disease

• Generally clean and tidy up around the garden – a clean garden is a healthier garden.
• Make sure you remove weeds which can act as a host for pests and diseases over winter.
• Squirrels are a number one enemy in south east London gardens! Unfortunately it's a case of living with them but making their lives as difficult as possible. At this time of year they dig up and eat corms and bulbs, especially crocus and tulip, and perform amazing feats to get at bird food. You can deter them from newly buried bulbs with a wire mesh and use a bird feeder with a robust outer wire cage. Some people say that squirrels don’t like chilli, so you could try sprinkling some in key areas.

Wildlife

• Clean out nesting boxes for birds, and put up some new ones.
• When tidying and cleaning in the garden, leave somewhere for wildlife such as hedgehogs and toads to hibernate as we head into winter.
• Feed the birds! They will keep coming to your garden if you keep the feeders topped up, and leave some water out for them too. They begin to need more calories as the temperature drops and fat balls and suet blocks fit the bill.

It’s a lovely time of year with the glorious colour and smells of autumn. A hard day’s work in the garden, rewarded by tea and cake (or something stronger!) back in the warm, is hard to beat.

Sally

Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday 9.30am – 5.30pm, Sunday 10am – 4pm

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