autumn doings

Today, cleared out 24 troughs each containing 3 basket strawberry plants. I know full well that I could divide and grow in but want to renew the soil and plants. I am growing on plugs from ebay for this purpose

Boring job but I have finished, took 1 and a half days. Got rid of soil and roots and am composting the leaves, flowers immature berries and stalks. The plugs are grown and ready and all I have to do now is go buy very decent JI3. They will be staying put for a few years

I have washed all the troughs and tidied up. Very much acting like a zombie on a conveyor belt

As soon as possible, I need to go buy 10 bags of JI3 as I also have two large raised beds to top.

All in aid of having a relaxing spring/summer/autumn next year and for a few years after

I too hate not getting things done before the bad weather. Today I’ve been pulling up hundreds of tiny valerian seedlings from the gravel drive. Quite therapeutic and satisfying but once again I’ve given the valerian a death sentence. This time there will be no reprieve.

I did some weeding yesterday and then planted a variety of bulbs in a recently extended border, so will have those to look forward to in the spring. I’ve got the mini greenhouse to scrub down and some cuttings to take as back up for my pelargoniums and salvias. I’ve bought more spring bulbs today to go into pots.
There’s always a job, isn’t there, but if we can get a lot of the tidying jobs done before it gets too cold, that’s all to the good.

My cut off for the garden is the end of the third week in October. I get out daily after that if the weather’s fit, but I like all the important stuff done by then. I’ve still got a lot of roses and shrubs to plant in the ground from pots before then.

The one thing we can’t avoid planting in the cold is tulips!

good reminder maple leaf, my mini greenhouse also needs a scrub and the glass runners need candlewax. That is my next job, after re-filling the troughs

Also will be covering 3 small veggie beds ready for winter, stops the weeds

Haven`t we all left the dozens of mucky pots in the past, only to regret that by windy rainy november. At least I haven`t got a potting shed or large greenhouse to clean

No chance of me planting tulips or any other bulbs as the squirrels are in full dig up anything tasty mode. They have exterminated all my montbretia/crocosmia with the exception of the variety lucifer which they haven’t gone near. Planting new delicious bulbs would have them in seventh heaven.

I intend to buy some chicken wire to place on top of the bulbs due to be planted now and the tulips which I’ll plant at the end of the year.

We have relocated two squirrels to a woodland but the remaining squirrels in the neighbourhood seem to be smarter and have managed to remove the bait and set off the trap while remaining outside for the last 3 days.

This week I have done some really heavy work around the pond. I am rather achey and so glad we are off to Loch Lomond tomorrow.

Our squirrels are digging in my pots to plant the walnuts they are picking from our tree. ?

The squirrels in my garden hid lots of acorns last year so I have mini oak trees in my borders ☘

I love autumn and winter gardening - and there is a lot of it this autumn as for most of the year I have been unable to garden. It began with lots of time away having those 2020 and 2021 holidaysm booked but in abeyance, then I was ill for a month with a months recovery, then we had this year's holiday and I have returned with COVID, which has been hanging around for nearly a fortnight.

But yesterday I decided enough was enough and managed to clear out the greenhouse and put it to bed for the winter. Today I cleared the pumpkin patch (3 butternut squash, and 5 Turks Head squash/pumpkins) and harvested the sweetcorn, 8 mingy cobs from 12 plants I weeded the path and pulled out lots of weeds.

Next, the front garden (tomorrow) and then more work on the veg patch. I am getting really excited about it all.

Esspee

No chance of me planting tulips or any other bulbs as the squirrels are in full dig up anything tasty mode. They have exterminated all my montbretia/crocosmia with the exception of the variety lucifer which they haven’t gone near. Planting new delicious bulbs would have them in seventh heaven.

I intend to buy some chicken wire to place on top of the bulbs due to be planted now and the tulips which I’ll plant at the end of the year.

We have relocated two squirrels to a woodland but the remaining squirrels in the neighbourhood seem to be smarter and have managed to remove the bait and set off the trap while remaining outside for the last 3 days.

This week I have done some really heavy work around the pond. I am rather achey and so glad we are off to Loch Lomond tomorrow.

I’ve saved my used pea netting Esspee, I think I’m going to group all my tulip pots together and spread that over them all, fingers crossed it will work.

My pots are still looking good. My bulb order has not arrived but I guess that it will be curtains for them when it does. It actually quite warm here today, about 20C.

I got the bags of composted bark in this morning, I shall wait until the hoeing has worked and will then put that bark
around the roses

Also loads of heavy lifting again today, this gardening malarky is very good for muscle-building. The last two big raised beds are filled and some potted double geraniums (cranesbill) are now in their permanent places

Casdon I can't imagine my squirrels would let something as fragile as pea netting stand in the way of them getting at delicious bulbs. They have dug very deep holes in my Begonias tunnelling underneath them to get at the bluebell bulbs.
I am also going to put a layer of used coffee grounds about one inch deep over my pots in the hope they won't be able to smell the bulbs. (Waitrose let you have used coffee grounds.)
If I can't get enough I shall try a tube of garlic puree in a watering can of water.

I was going to take the tomato plants out of the greenhouse, but I just can’t as they’ve got a second wind.

Please,-when- can I divide Crocosmia Lucifer and plant chunk(s) separated. Atm root/bulb area is about 2 ft square, how many chunks can I move on to other patches?

Do I trim them down in order to do it?

Now, you are all very good in doing many Autumn jobs around the garden.All I have done is to bring inside any tomatoes yet to ripen.I do actually like a sort of Autumn melancholy that settles on a garden and a somewhat neglected look to it.I do not know what that says about me!

I don't think there would be a problem dividing Crocosma Wyllow3. I have Lucifer too and will be dividing bulbs this autumn as they have spread themselves too close to a young Acer. I have cut the leaves down to about six inches above the bulbs just to help position them correctly. Aren't they just beautiful when in bloom!

Monty divide his Crocosmia, last night on GW. He dug a hole around the whole plant, lifted it and then divided.
I usually just stick a fork in a prise a bit out!

I'd like to know which one is the way to go, as I was thinking the same thing today with my Lucifer about 2ft diameter plant.

As a novice Gardner I am finding this all fascinating, don’t understand a word of it but nonetheless fascinating ?

Can anyone help with what I should do with these tomatoes? They keep getting bigger and bigger but are taking ages to ripen. I don't even know what they were.

you can pick them and put them on a sunny windowsill and they should turn red (ish)

otherwise you can make a chutney with green tomatoes

It is still quite warm here, my house plants are still outside