by Janis on 28th October 2022 / 0 comments
Planting bulbs and prepping the patio
A sure tell-tale sign that Autumn is in full swing must be when Halloween arrives. The children in our village are getting very excited, and houses are decorated with giant cobwebs and spiders.
Also, this time of year, fewer birds are frequenting our garden. However, the re-appearance of our local woodpeckers is very welcome.
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Contorted Hazel
Likewise, our resident squirrel isn’t giving up anytime soon, either. He is still flitting from the Contorted Hazel tree, where he’s gathering some nuts to the garden beds and lawn to bury them. The squirrel also appears to be getting bolder; usually, when I step out onto our garden patio, he skedaddles. I’m not saying it likes us, but it is undoubtedly hanging around more.
What we’ve been up to this month
In the garden and on the websiteWith the changing of the seasons well underway, things are quieter in the garden now, although there were still a lot of tasks to do for October.
I’ve continued to clear some of our courtyard patio pots of all our tomato plants and bedding plants, although if they are still flowering, I’ve left them alone. I’m reluctant to get rid of them if they are still making an effort to give us a splash of colour.
Unboxed autumn bulbs
Early in October, I potted on my energetic Spiraea Bridal Wreath and Salvia Hot Lips saplings, which I nurtured from softwood cuttings. To my amazement, while we were away for a week, we came home to see the Salvia Hot Lips flowering from my cutting. It is so satisfying to see them flourishing.
Salvia Hot Lips flowering
Also, in early October, I purchased lots of bulbs from J. Parker’s. We’ve used them before; they have a huge selection of bulbs and are reliable. As an added bonus, I got a discount as a Gardeners World magazine subscriber.
It’s time to start planting. Did you catch our post on Our spring bulb purchases?
Achievements for October
Let’s keep ticking those boxesOctober has been a calmer month in the garden; the garden is undoubtedly looking greener, but unfortunately, there are multiple weeds poking their heads through now. Also, I’ve got my work cut out keep raking up the leaves from the lawn.
Gathering leaves
So, let’s see what we’ve managed to tick off for October.
Purchase some bulbs for some springtime colour.
Plant out our new bulbs.
Removed old bedding plants from our patio pots, which have stopped flowering, ready for spring bulbs.
Remove lavender in the front garden; this will move to November.
Continue mowing the lawn while it’s still flourishing.
Continue to manage and prune our overgrown and unruly shrubs in the Secret Garden.
Lessons learnt & mistakes made
You live and learnIt’s been a quieter month for making mistakes; the only thing I would say is that I wish I had purchased my bulbs a few weeks sooner to give them more time to become established. But hey, I’m still hoping for a lovely swathe of colour next spring.
Our plans for the coming month
What’s on your to-do list?Continue to clear the weeds and unwanted planting in the Cottage Garden section.
Keep cutting back and managing our overgrown and unruly shrubs in the Secret Garden.
Tidy up the front garden.
Progress with planning the different garden sections and understanding the likes and dislikes of our plants.
Tidy up the courtyard patio and clear the last of the pots.
Please let us know what you have planned in your garden this month; we’d love to know.
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