IT seems summer has finally arrived and it is the end of September!!
Better late than never as they say. At least the last two weekends have been dry and it has been possible to get out into the garden to begin tidying up. Jim and Rosie were home for the weekend and we actually
managed to eat outside. A rare treat?
Don?t be fooled by this sudden clement weather. October can produce the first frosts and towards the end of the month it is wise to protect any tender plants either by lifting and storing or covering in horticultural fleece. It is also the month for bulb planting. Mine are on order for any of you who asked for them. Delivery will hopefully be mid to end of the
month.
It is also the month for harvesting fruit and jam making. My raspberries are still producing a plentiful crop but they never get further than a bowlin the kitchen ? it seems sacrilegious to boil them up.
I have been collecting seeds from my perennials. What I really need is space for a huge polytunnel and then I could produce all my own stock. One of my dreams for the future perhaps?
A good clean up of flower borders can be done now, but most can be left until spring. It is good to leave it so that birds and other wildlife can find
shelter and sustenance over the winter. However, if you have persistent weeds, like bindweed, try and tackle them now. Remember to burn them rather than put them on the compost heap.
I shall be tidying up the vegetable plot this weekend. I still have plenty growing and some good specimens waiting to be picked. My order for next year went in earlier this week and as usual there are plenty of grand ideas. Let?s just pray the weather gives more incentive next year? I still recommend Marshalls ? www.marshalls-seeds.co.uk and
www.seedsofitaly.com as great suppliers of unusual varieties.
The summer has been spent doing a lot of thinking about where I am and where I want to be? It has thrown up all sorts of ideas not least to introduce a new company name. Jim and I shall be working on this
together ? his first challenge will be to get around the Latin names of plants and come up with some very clever connection. Watch this space.
Remember to look at The Garden Boutique Website ?
www.gardenboutique.co.uk. Quote the promotional code JF268 and you will be entitled to a discount.
RECIPE
Elderflower Jelly
We had this at a restaurant recently and it was completely yummy. Here is my version.
4 Gelatine leaves
500ml of Elderflower Cordial
75g Castor sugar
125g of mixed berries
Immerse the gelatine leaves, one at a time, into a shallow bowl of cold water and leave for a minute or two until soft. I used concentrated Elderflower cordial and diluted it until I was happy with the taste. Bring 100ml of the elderflower cordial to the boil and add the sugar. Stir until dissolved. Drain and squeeze the gelatine leaves, then add the hot
elderflower cordial. Stir until melted. Remove from the head and add the rest of the elderflower. Put the pan of jelly somewhere to cool, but do not let is set.
Divide half the berries among four individual moulds. Pour in HALF of the cooled jelly.
Chill for an hour or so to set, then top up with the rest of the berries and unset jelly. This ensures the berries stay suspended and don?t float to the top. Return to the fridge to set.
I used a combination of blueberries, raspberries and red currants.
To serve. Dip into boiling water for a couple of seconds to help release the jelly. Turn on plates and serve. They look really professional and go really well with a simple Lemon Possett or just cream.
SEASONAL TIPS
This is a good month to divide perennials, although keep an eye on the weather ? we might just have a warm Indian summer, which means continued watering.
Give the lawn an autumn feed. Ideally, it is best to aerate before doing this. Use a feed which is high in phosphate and low in nitrogen. This will strengthen the roots to withstand frosts and wet. This is a good
month to lay new turf. Regularly, rake fallen leaves.
With the damp summer we have had I have noticed a few plants are suffering from powdery mildew. It is best to cut off all the affected foliage and dispose of it.
Continue to plant bulbs. Do remember to plant them twice the depth of the bulb, otherwise they may come up ?blind?, i.e. with no blooms.
Lift and store dahlias to protect them through the winter. When the first frost has blackened the leaves, cut the stems right back and lift the tubers. Dry them off and then store in a peat-free compost.
Take cuttings of fuchsias and perlargoniums and store in a cold frame and out of direct sunlight.
VEGETABLE & FRUIT GARDEN
Lift maincrop potatoes for storage by the end of October.
Carrots, Swedes, turnips and parsnips can be left in the ground. The colder weather really improves the flavour of parsnips.
Pick maturing fruit and vegetables frequently.
Apply grease or grease bands to apple trees to trap crawling insects.
Use cloches to cover any salad crops sown in late July and August. This will help to prolong the harvesting.
In late October sow broad beans and extra-hardy pea varieties.
Order new soft fruit and top fruit as soon as possible. I recommend www.agroforestry.co.uk. They have a really good range of all fruits and
are very reasonably priced. Most of the stock is sent out either root-balled or bare rooted starting in November.
Put apples and pears into store. Pick the fruit during a cool part of the day and don?t store any that is damaged. Wrap each fruit individually to
avoid any disease spreading.
Lift and divide old rhubarb crowns.
Outdoor figs. Remove green unripe fruits as they are unlikely to be of any use. However, be careful not to touch the embryo fruits ? about the size of a pea as these will produce next year?s crop.
For more detailed information on what to do in the garden in July, visit: www.rhs.org.uk/advice/calandar.asp.
GREENHOUSE
Depending on the weather, the shading can be removed progressively.
Check the condition of greenhouse heaters and service them in plenty of time before the weather changes. Pay particular attention to thermostats.
Check gutters and downpipes and unblock if necessary.
Conservatory/greenhouse plants benefit from being moved outside during the summer, but if tender bring them in at night.
POINTS OF INTEREST
FEED THE BIRDS
October is the perfect time to start feeding the birds for the winter. The RSPB have a ?Feed the Birds Day? on 18th October. www.rspb.org.uk (01767 680551).
BEWARE
It has been reported that a lot of farmyard manure has been contaminated by an agricultural weedkiller called aminopyralid. It has been temporarily suspended while investigations take place, but stocks
of the manure are still likely to be for sale.
BBOWT
I have a great friend, Maggie Piggott, who works at the Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust as the Community Wildlife Officer for Bucks. She is
an expert on wildlife gardening. BBOWT has a Wildlife Information Service which takes over 700 calls per year. The service is open on a Monday ? 01865 788307. There are over 38 fact sheets available. For a
list please visit ? www.bbowt.org.uk. Maggie will send me an article each month which I am happy to forward on to anyone.
This month she is covering ?How to make a wildflower meadow?
PLACES TO VISIT
Petersham Nurseries
Richmond, Surrey.
The nursery has launched its own Home Grown Range of unusual vegetable plants. An interesting place to visit in any event.
Lunch is very good, although I feel at rather inflated prices.
It is essential to book.
www.petershamnurseries.com. 020 8940 5230
Painswick Rococo Garden, Cotswolds 20th October ? 2nd
November – Learn the art of pressing apples, tips on growing your own and unusual varieties of historic fruit and vegetables.
www.rococogarden.co.uk 01452 813204
Sulgrave Manor, Oxon, 11 th ? 12th October, 10.30 to 5.00pm.
See over 350 varieties of apple.
www.sulgravemanor.org.uk 01295 760205
EVENTS
BEST OF BRITISH FORTNIGHT
To celebrate the best of British. Events throughout the country 20th September to 6th October
www.britishfoodfortnight.co.uk
A TASTE OF AUTUMN, RHS Wisley, 17th-20th October
www.rhs.org.uk/gardenevents
GRAND DESIGNS LIVE
10-12th October NEC ? Birmingham
Tel: 0871 2305586
The RHS have created an Event Finder online. Visit
www.rhs.org.uk/rhseventfinder for details.