Eastlife Autumn 2020

Gardens
by Ade
Written by Ade Sellars
There’s no getting away from the fact there’s a change in the air. With days
getting shorter and nights getting longer, it’s time to say farewell to the warm
embrace of summer, as there’s a new season waiting in the wings; hello autumn!
perennials can be lifted, divided and
re-planted, increasing your flower
stock next year. For protection against
dropping temperatures, ensure you
mulch around the plant. Don’t cover
them over, as this will encourage rot.
Despite fading flowers and falling
temperatures, autumn can be a glorious
time. Its palette is awash with rich golds,
fiery reds and burnt oranges. Fruits
and vegetables are ripe for the picking,
ready to be stored and turned into hot
soups and warm treats for the colder
months ahead.
On gardens and allotments, we need
to make ready for winter, but also keep
one eye ahead to spring. Clean the
greenhouse, clear away the used veg
beds and plant those spring bulbs,
making the most of the mild weather
before first frosts arrive.
After a very dry summer, and with
constant use, lawns will need your
attention. Re-lay any bare patches with
new turf or re-sow seeds directly into the
soil. Scarify, aerate and apply a dressing
to the lawn. Keep edging in check and
remove any fallen foliage. Any leaf buildup
can harbour pests, stop light getting
to your lawn and create a ‘browning
off’ effect.
Your perennials will have seen better
days, but these plants can still offer
benefits for wildlife searching for food
throughout the colder months, so I’d
always encourage you to keep them
if you can. Otherwise, cut the plants
back to the base. Summer flowering
Dahlia bulbs can be lifted, and their
foliage cut back to several centimetres
above the tuber. Turned upside down,
they should be left a day or two to
drain. Once dried, they can be stored
somewhere cool, dark and frost free.
Speaking of bulbs, spring bulbs can
now be planted either straight into the
ground or into pots and containers.
Ensure they’re planted three times the
height of the bulb, and don’t let them sit
in water throughout winter. If drainage is
a problem for your soil, add horticultural
grit to the base of the hole, as this will
help the water to seep away. Bulbs
worth considering are tulips, daffodils
and alliums.
Now’s the time to clean the greenhouse.
Dispose of old plants and remove all
empty pots and containers, as these
maybe harbouring pests. If you’re
planning to grow anything in the next
few months, such as winter salad or
hardy spinach, then your greenhouse
will need as much light and warmth as
possible. Seeds such as sweet peas,
centaurea and poppies can be sown
into trays or modules. Don’t let them dryout
and as temperatures slowly start to
drop, ensure preparations are made to
see them through the colder months.
If you’ve been harvesting apples and
pears and are planning to store them,
ensure none are spoilt and place them
apart on dry sand in a paper-lined box.
Store them somewhere dark and cool,
such as a pantry or cellar, and check
every so often to make sure none have
gone off.
Garlic needs a good cold period to help
develop its cloves, so plant them now
and leave over winter. In well-drained,
fertile soil, place the individual cloves at
20cm apart, in rows 30cms apart. You
should only see the tips of the cloves.
You may want to cover over with either
a fleece or netting, just to stop birds from
pulling them up.
If you’re leaving vegetable beds empty
over winter, turn the soil to aerate it and
to expose hiding pests.
Finally, your squashes and pumpkins
should be looking their best, and with
their vines cracked and withered, this is
the time to cut them away. Place them
somewhere dry and bright for a few days
so the skins can harden off.
If it’s a Halloween pumpkin you’re hoping
to carve, this is a great opportunity to get
children involved with the allotment or
growing patch. Not only will they have
seen the pumpkin grown from seed, but
they’ll get to harvest and enjoy it. Make
sure you don’t waste the flesh though;
pumpkins make tasty autumn soups,
curries and risottos! In fact, why not try
our recipe for pumpkin and chilli soup:
www.agentsoffield.com/2016/02/28/
pumpkin-and-chilli-soup
BIO: Ade is a freelance presenter,
blogger, vlogger, writer and multimedia
producer. www.adesellars.com
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