The Village Voice Oct Nov 2018

In the Garden
with Alan Edmondson of
Bowercot Garden Design
October/November
Gardening Tips
• Rake up fallen leaves regularly. If they have appeared diseased during the summer, do not
compost them.
• Sow sweet peas in pots in a cold frame. Remove the covers when the seedlings appear.
• A newly sown lawn can have the grass height reduced by about a half when it is 2-3 inches
high. Repeat cutting the lawn in 3-4 weeks’ time.
• Apples and pears which are ripe should be picked and handled carefully prior to storage a in
a cool, airy position.
• Plant daffodils in the garden. Good dwarf varieties include ‘Tete a Tete’, ‘February Gold’,
‘Jack Snipe’ and ‘Hawera’.
• A number of shrubs such as Buddleja, Forsythia and Philadelphus can be propagated by
taking hardwood cuttings.
• In the vegetable garden, dig over ground as it becomes vacant.
• Remove dead leaves from ornamental pools and thin oxygenating plants.
• Plant out new roses. You can improve the soil with plenty of humus and by adding some
blood, fish and bone fertilizer to the planting hole.
• If you are buying biennials such as wallflowers and sweet Williams, make sure that they are
bushy, as they will not grow much now before flowering.
• Harvest leeks and cauliflowers. Also lift and store root crops such as carrots, turnips and
swedes.
• Ventilate the greenhouse on sunny days. Give the glass a good wash to let in the maximum
amount of light.
• Tomato crops should be cleared from the greenhouse and not left to stand suffering from
Botrytis (Grey Mould) as the fungus spores will flourish in greenhouse conditions.
• Feed the birds regularly. It is important to ensure that they have a constant supply of water.
Alan Edmondson of Bowercot Garden
Design, Lymington, is a regular
contributor to BBC Radio Solent’s ‘The
Kitchen Garden’ formerly ‘The Good Life’.
Please mention The Village Voice when responding to adverts
51