Philippa’s Newsletter – October 2022

October in Our Gardens by Philippa Thomas

As our first frosts arrive by the middle of October, a whole new range of gardening tasks commence. Combined with our blazing display from our diverse range of trees, it’s our sun and red sky sunsets which gives a radiant glow to our autumnal evenings. Lots and lots of plants are at the right stage to harvest their seeds this autumn, indeed our present gardens could be bursting with seeds.

Different plants make seed heads in different ways. Planting conditions now for biennials are more than likely pretty perfect too. Biennials are plants that will flower in their second year and without question of a doubt, are worth the wait.

THE  ACT  OF  TURNING  A  SMALL  QUANTITY  OF  BROWN  SEED  INTO  HEALTHY FLOWERING  PLANTS  IS  POSSIBLY  THE  MOST  MAGICAL  PART  OF  GARDENING

…..In all honesty, we can have an entire garden of flowers next year 2023, for less than a tenner, literally by sowing seeds of hardy annuals and biennials before the end of this very month, if of course it is mild. Then, if our plants like our conditions, they’ll self-seed in a year’s time, repeating the cycle for ever more, how simply incredible. Self-sown plants can make our lives ever so much easier but the key is to grow them direct into the soil, no seed trays, no compost, no pots and of course, no potting on. Instead, they plant themselves and grow themselves and flower themselves and with their own tremendous ease.

Maybe, let’s take our cue from nature….Annuals and biennials, sometimes have their own ideas, many hardy annuals grow biennially if sown in late summer / autumn, flowering early next year.

 

SURELY,  SELF  SOWERS  ARE  THE  HARDEST  WORKING  PLANTS  IN  ANY  GARDEN BOTH  LOW  IN  COST  AND  HIGH  IN  VALUE.

If it’s our very first time growing self-sowers, the easiest way to start off is to grow some in a pot of peat-free compost or directly into rows in our soil.

Maybe, lets pause a thought for:  TO  BIN  OR  NOT  TO  BIN  ?  AND  EQUALLY , WHERE  TO BIN  ?  Since some people believe to fill our magical world with these unsightly ‘grotesqueries’,  possibly some of our small stamp like and town gardens have all but been abandoned. There is no need for unattractive bins to dominate our outdoor space if we incorporate some smart, purposeful wheelie storage ideas into our plot / space.

Are We Aware That We Can Plant Peonies Now ?  Yes, We Can !

Peonies are always popular, they’re lush, showy and have the fullness of hydrangeas with slightly more elegance. If we plant peonies in our Autumn, they’ll have more time to settle and build a root system. Peonies usually need a couple of growing cycles to produce flowers but planting now rather than in the spring gives them a better chance to flower in their first spring / summer.  Well – cared for peonies can continue to bloom for a 100 years.

• Red Peonies symbolise wealth, passion and honour.
• Pink Peonies represent love, good luck and priority.
• Yellow Peonies are for new beginnings.
• Deep Raspberry shades and colour changing coral peonies are all the rage, presently.

Maybe, now let’s propagate some Rosemary ?  Pick some side shoots from a main stem. Strip off a few of the lower leaves and pinch to reduce water loss. Plant each shoot around the edge of a small pot filled with a gritty mix of moist compost. Store in a cool but well-lit spot and keep the pot well-watered.

DISCOVERING  THE  MAGIC  OF  BLUE  FLOWERS.

Gardeners find it hard to resist the allure of blue flowers and true blue flowers are generally uncommon in our gardens, from lapis lazuli to ultramarine, cobalt to cerulean. Blue has long had a special role in art, jewellery and textiles. Traditionally, the colour blue has been used to represent qualities of the sublime such as truth, faithfulness and heaven. In contemporary times, blue is also associated with harmony, confidence, infinity and the imagination. The colour blue is a constant in the landscape. On a sunny day, we see a sky of blue over our heads. Oceans, lakes, ponds, rivers, streams and even glaciers reflect our sky and reflect it in variations of blue. Wonder, have we ever noticed that a distant mountain can draw us with its hazy blue aura….

Blue, too has a low colour temperature. We experience blue hues as cool and find them calming, soothing for our souls and relaxing. The most fascinating aspect of all to me is that blue flowers seem to recede from us in the garden. They can be used to increase the sense of openness and expansion in our gardens. So very few flowers are a pure true blue.

Today, gardeners are often drawn to more intense colours and bolder combinations. I simply adore purple and orange together. I, can’t seem to get enough of this combination. Another way to accentuate blue is to pair it with silver or grey foliage. These cool neutral colours make pure blues look more brilliant. Of course, we can count on purple and blue complimenting each other.

SOME  OF  THE  BEST  BLUE  FLOWERS  FOR  OUR  GARDENS

• Annuals And Tender Perennials With Blue Flowers : Agapanthus, Borage, Morning Glory, Nigella, Plumbago, Salvias, Platycodon, Lobelia, Mertensia, (Virginia cowslip.)
• Perennials With Blue Flowers : Brunnera, Campanula, Delphiniums, Eryngium, Gentian, Geranium, Iris, Meconopsis, Myosotis, Periwinkle, Phlox, Pulmonarias, Rosemary, Viola.)
• Bulbs With Blue Flowers : Camassia, Chionodoxa, Hyacinth, Puschkinia, Scilla.
• Shrubs With Blue Flowers : Ceanothus, Hydrangea, Lilac, Wisteria.
• Foliage With A Deep Blue Hue : Agave, Blue Oat Grass, Euphorbia, Festuca  glauca, Hosta, Juniper, Lavender, Sedum.

MIGHT DO, MAYBE OCTOBER JOBS

• As growth slows, clip evergreen box and yew balls and hedges. Choose a dry day to reduce spore spread. With box blight on the increase, remember this is a fungus so ensure that there is circulation around the plants, …..really this is key in blight prevention : the fungus also appreciates tight clipping so that box will be able to grow looser.
• Wallflowers are unbeatable for their rich, velvety scented colour and compliment spring bulbs, lasting all the way from narcissi in march through alliums in May.
• To reduce the amount of plastic in circulation, try to reuse it rather than putting it into recycling or buying something new.
• Old compost bags can be reused as rubbish bags, to make leaf mould, or as potato- growing sacks or containers for large veg.

The Government is encouraging everyone to help bees, butterflies and other pollinators by downloading a free phone app called ‘FIT  COUNT’, which will help to track pollinator numbers and movements, providing crucial data. The survey asks people to spend 10 mins a day collecting data on the number of insects that visit flowers such as dandelion, buttercup and lavender.

The Forestry Commission has confirmed that the deadly tree disease Phytophthora pluvialis has been found in Shropshire. It was first discovered last year in a woodland in Cornwall and outbreaks have been subsequently reported across The UK. The Forestry Commission is taking tree health protection measures to prevent it from spreading.

“MY  FAVOURITE  COLOUR  IS  OCTOBER ”
Unknown

“October baptise me with leaves, swaddle me in corduroy and nurse me with split pea soup. October, tuck tiny candy bars in my pockets and carve my smile into a thousand pumpkins.  O Autumn !  O Teakettle !  O Grace !”
Rainbow Rowell