Your garden In October

[GlitterBiscuits]

What jobs are usually done in October?
What does your garden have going on right now?

I'm planting wallflowers this weekend
And getting some bulbs from Wilko. I have had great results with them over the last 2 years

It's a good month to do a tidy up of your greenhouse if you have one ready to over winter plants.

Time to plant trees and shrubs too. I've just about run out of room for anything else. I'd like a bigger garden but don't want to leave my current garden!

@KohlaParasanda I've always wanted bulbs in the lawn but DH in opposition to this as he thinks they just get mowed. Think he has a view of gardening as flower borders vs lawn and no cross over. I'm v tempted to sneak a few in....would snowdrops be best?

I mow all my leaves. It breaks them down before adding to the compost. It also mixes in with green grass cuttings which helps the composting

I planted daffodils and bluebells
I painted a jack and Jill neck we have yesterday and we will put that in the garage over the winter

Today I will tidy a patch of ground (kids have a bit of a den with now broken pound shop gnomes etc) and I've have bulbs to plant there too.

memake we have snowdrops planted in our lawn. They come up so early that it didn't interfere with mowing. .

I painted a jack and Jill neck

What's one of those please?

@sandgrown

Just inherited two neglected Cordylines ?from NDN who is moving . They are in pots and a bit dried out but think they may recover. Do I cut them down or just shelter them over Winter ? Can’t wait to plant lots of bulbs and pansies !

Wish I'd left mine in a pot. I didn't realise how flipping big they get, it must be 6ft tall 🙈

Having once dug out a mammoth Cordyline by myself at a previous property - the buggers give me nightmares now . It took me all day and all my strength to wrangle the massive beast out of the ground.

@BrownCurlsAmberEyes

Having once dug out a mammoth Cordyline by myself at a previous property - the buggers give me nightmares now . It took me all day and all my strength to wrangle the massive beast out of the ground.

Yep, It was an impulsive buy in Asda whilst popping in for milk, never again will I look at the spiky fiends in the same way.

[quote MakeMeCleanTheHouse]@KohlaParasanda I've always wanted bulbs in the lawn but DH in opposition to this as he thinks they just get mowed. Think he has a view of gardening as flower borders vs lawn and no cross over. I'm v tempted to sneak a few in....would snowdrops be best?[/quote]
Snowdrops would be a good choice though they're not always reliable from bulbs. Crocuses and little reticulata irises have also usually been and gone by the time mowing season comes round. Daffodils and snakes head fritillaries can cause a conflict of interest but my DH happily mows round the self-seeded shepherd's purse and cornflowers that pop up on our lawn. I've tried to turn part of the lawn into a red poppy meadow in the past but the poppies aren't interested in growing there.

[quote MakeMeCleanTheHouse]@KohlaParasanda I've always wanted bulbs in the lawn but DH in opposition to this as he thinks they just get mowed. Think he has a view of gardening as flower borders vs lawn and no cross over. I'm v tempted to sneak a few in....would snowdrops be best?[/quote]
You won’t want to mow till end May. Snowdrops, species crocus Are early.

Wild type daffodils are lovely but their leaves are a bit intrusive.

Once you’ve won him over, small species tulips extend the season.

kohla how are you getting cornflowers on your lawn? They’re arable weeds, like bare soil for germination (like poppies). Shepherds purse - i know that as a little cress like flower with tiny white flowers, the sort of thing you don’t cast a second glance at. That’s the trouble with common rather than scientific names, they’re ascribed to different plants in different areas of the country. What are your shepherds purse like?

@MereDintofPandiculation

kohla how are you getting cornflowers on your lawn? They’re arable weeds, like bare soil for germination (like poppies). Shepherds purse - i know that as a little cress like flower with tiny white flowers, the sort of thing you don’t cast a second glance at. That’s the trouble with common rather than scientific names, they’re ascribed to different plants in different areas of the country. What are your shepherds purse like?

Have just Googled and my shepherd's purse is a misidentification (though I have those too, elsewhere in the garden). I now need to find out what the bigger white flowers that appear on the lawn in early summer are. As for the cornflowers, they were real enough but I shall stop hoping that having left the few that appeared last year to self-seed will result in an entire meadow of them.

Bigger white flowers on lawn are usually daisies or, even bigger, ox eye daisies. I wondered if you had lady smock - close relative of shepherds purse, but much taller with a cluster of pale pink flowers in early summer. Cardamine pratense

This is the first year I've actually been on top of my garden since we moved in 😂 I'm mostly just enjoying the autumn colours coming and pottering around doing nothing in particular, picking up leaves and a bit of weeding/tidying. I planted some bulbs in September but last year's bulbs are growing already 😯 I'm hoping to get some plants for autumn/winter hanging baskets as DH wants some vibrant colours in our rather muted garden so hopefully that will tick his box!

I’ve planted some bulbs and moved some things around today I’ll mulch the beds with compost when things die down a bit more. I’ve planted Lilly turf today in an area which is tricky and hoping they’ll do well.

Pruned my buddleia and forsythia, planted a climbing hydrangea, harvested the last of the plums, potted up some winter pansies, mowed the lawn, hoed round the roses and dead headed them, trimmed the lavenders, planted another 25 tulip bulbs, scattered poppy and forget me not seeds from this year’s dry plants ready for next year, treated the rhododendrons, pieris and azaleas to some ericaceous compost to feed them up for the spring, pruned the Joseph’s coats, brought my baby aquilegias indoors for the winter before the frosts arrive, and made a feeble attempt at weeding the herbaceous beds and driveway. I have long Covid fatigue, so all this takes me ages.

Does anyone know if I can leave geraniums in pots in my (unheated) greenhouse over winter?

@Ddmcm

Does anyone know if I can leave geraniums in pots in my (unheated) greenhouse over winter?

I keep mine in an unheated conservatory, although they’re against the larder window so undoubtedly some heat leaks through there

I do the same with my scented geraniums - unheated conservatory that is pretty cold at night (east facing) . They are always fine .

@PlatinumBrunette thank you . I think they will be lovely if they recover

@userxx@BrownCurlsAmberEyes. I had a huge cordyline at my previous house and another one that got pot bound . It was like the enormous turnip . It took 3 of us to pull it out!

For those of you with a greenhouse, what are you sowing in it for next year? It's my first year with one (unheated). It was really productive during the spring and summer and I want to make sure I utilise it during the winter.

@hoveringhobbit it's my first winter with a greenhouse as well and I'm really excited. It's not arrived yet so still to be built, but I've not much idea really what to do with it over the winter other than go and potter around there.

Really busy gardening weekend.
Shed decluttered and clean - more room for my gardening stuff.
Lawn mowed last time this year.
Got a fern for the shady area.
Set some seeds - red pepper , sweet pea and herbs - all inside on window cils.
New trellis up, of a winter flowering clematis, maybe.

In my greenhouse, I’m overwintering frost delicate plants, cosseting plants that are too young to fend for themselves in the garden, giving late salad crops shelter so they’ll go on further into the winter, I’ll be planting sweet peas for next year, and I’m still harvesting tomatoes.