The Flower Garden

One of the first things gardeners have to do in October is to harden their hearts and turf out the summer bedding, which may still be looking wonderful, and planting in its place the bedding which is going to supply the colour during the winter, and perhaps more importantly, the spring ahead. Wallflowers, polyanthus and primroses will do better in the spring if they can get their roots down reasonably early in the autumn, while there is still some warmth in the ground. The same goes for pansies, which are more likely to flower through the winter if they are established before the cold weather comes to slow them down. Two old fashioned spring bedding plants which sometimes get overlooked but are always rewarding are Bellis, those delightful pink and white double pompom daisies, and forget-me-nots, which are a more intense blue than the ones which seed around in your garden naturally. All spring bedding plants combine wonderfully with tulips and daffodils, so don’t forget to plant some bulbs at the same time. (Set your bedding plants out first, then the bulbs-otherwise, confusion results!) Narcissi, alliums and crocus are the ones to get on with as soon as you can; tulips can wait happily till next month, though it’s advisable to buy the ones you want in case they sell out.

Plant container grown hardy cyclamen in pockets of humus-rich soil, in the shade of deciduous shrubs and trees. The miniature flowers carry on for ages and even when they are over, the beautiful foliage will be there right through the winter until the early summer.

You need to lift any tuberous begonias (the ones with the enormous flowers, which have done so well this summer) before they are hit by frost. Lift them carefully and put them in pots or trays of moist compost and keep them in a greenhouse, light shed or on a cool bedroom windowsill. Keep them watered until the leaves begin to go yellow. Dry them off by gradually withdrawing watering. Cover with a shallow layer of peat and store somewhere frost-free. Moisten the peat occasionally over winter to prevent the tubers from shrivelling.

Geraniums too will need lifting soon, as well as tender Fuchias and any standard Fuchias, before there are any proper frosts;-there is no need to panic-a touch of ground frost will do them no harm. Lift them carefully, trim them back to tidy them up, pot them into multi-purpose potting compost, keep them barely moist over winter, in your cool, frost-free place, which is gradually getting fuller. Plants already in containers should be moved in too, again just keeping them barely moist. These will be potted on or repotted in March.

Gladioli which have been planted deeply in well-drained soil are pretty safe to leave in the ground over winter these days; but if you don’t want to risk it or if your soil is heavy, lift the corms carefully with a fork, around the middle of the month, cut the stem down to 1/2 an inch above the corm, dry them off in an airy place, and when they are completely dry, store them in trays in a cool, frost-proof place.

Dahlias-in my opinion-rarely need lifting (if at all) until November or even December, after they have been well blackened by a couple of good frosts; so carry on dead-heading and enjoying those gorgeous flowers.

October is the perfect month in which to split hardy perennials like daylilies. Peonies can be done too this month, though the earlier the better-get them done before the cold weather. Leave grasses and the less hardy perennials, such as kniphofias, till the spring.

Cut down perennials which have finished flowering if they look untidy, but not the less hardy ones like Penstemons; they should be left until they begin to shoot from the base in the spring.

It is also an excellent time to plant new perennials, as well as container-grown shrubs and trees. Their roots continue to grow even after their leaves are off, and they get off to a much better, more stress-free start in the spring. The month is starting off rather on the dry side this year, so you need to water things in well.

Lightly trim over lavender hedges and individual plants.

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Lawns

Apply an autumn weed and moss killer this month. The idea is not to get your grass growing but to give it the vigour and resilience to get through the winter.

October is a good month in which to lay turf. Make sure you get your turf from a reputable supplier-if possible, see it before you buy it. Prepare a weed-free tilth on which to lay your turf and give it time to settle. Start laying in a corner, bonding the turves in the same way as bricks; butt them together as tightly as you can, filling any gaps or depressions with sieved soil.

Fruit

Harvest apples and pears before any proper frosts. An easy and effective way to store apples is in a cool place, loosely in plastic shopping bags, with their tops left open. This makes them easy to check from time to time for any signs of rot developing. Only store sound, undamaged fruit.

Quinces are harvested this month. Store them for a fortnight before using them. You can do lots of things with quinces apart from making quince jelly. They are delicious baked slowly with wine and cinnamon, or added to apple or pear crumble-a few small pieces is all you need. Research recipes for quince cheese which lasts for ages in a fridge.

Vegetables

Plant winter lettuce and spring cabbages. Lift and store beetroots and carrots.

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