Now the nights come earlier, I will be perusing the seed catalogues and pondering over what I am going to grow next year. I don’t always believe the glossy pictures and overzealous descriptions. I have been caught out in the past by glowing descriptions of a cut flower with long stems and continuous flowers, only to find it is a foot high and a single stem. I have lifted all my Gladioli and have cut the leaves off. I leave them in the greenhouse to dry and after a fortnight I remove the old corm and roots. Some of the little cormlets I keep and grow on next year, but only the special ones.
I have lifted all my Dahlia tubers and boxed them up. They are now residing in the barn, hopefully, they will be ready to take cutting from in the Spring. I have left a row in, but have covered them with a good 4” of rotten horse manure from a known source. You have to be careful about buying manure as if the straw has been sprayed with a hormone weed killer, it can hang around and be toxic to a lot of plants, particularly tomatoes. I used to live near large hay fields and the famer always told me if he was spraying, as I used to grow about 400 tomatoes in a Polytunnel. There is still time to plant Winter and Spring pots. Under-plant Pansies and Bellis and Polyanthus with Hyacinths, Tulips and Daffodils. Dutch Iris will continue to give colour with late Tulips, in fact any bulbs will push their way through the foliage above, so it is worth checking they haven’t lifted any plants as they grow.
If it isn’t frosty, and you haven’t already done it, give the lawn a last cut and put the lawnmower away. It is always a good idea to let it run out of fuel, so you can have an easy start in the Spring. Please do get your tickets for our annual Christmas dinner – for only £18 you get a three course dinner along with a very silly local quiz that’ll make you realise how unobservant you are as well as a hearty laugh or two.
For further information on your local, friendly gardening club, please do get in touch, all our details are online: www.bishamptongardeningclub.org.uk or email [email protected]
Cheers, Pete Chamberlain, Chairman, Bishampton & District Gardening Club.
For further information on your local, friendly gardening club, please do get in touch, all our details are online: www.bishamptongardeningclub.org.uk or email [email protected]
Cheers, Pete Chamberlain, Chairman, Bishampton & District Gardening Club.