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Autumn Gardening Chat...


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Posted
  • Location: Derby - 46m (151ft) ASL
  • Location: Derby - 46m (151ft) ASL

Well, hopefully unlike another general chat thread I started that didnt go down too well ( :smiliz23: ), we do seem to have quite a few budding gardeners and garden lovers on the forum.

Not a massive green finger bloke, but do like doing the odd bit here and there.

Anyway, Autumn is now here, and whilst most of the garden is starting to look quite summery still, some things are starting to go.

All out pots with Pansys and Lobellia (sp?) were cleared and emptied yesterday. Quite a bit of slug damage, but with the time of the year, I cant really see much come back.

Really gutted about out passion flower. After a worrying start to the year, it made some fantastic growth across our trellis, but now we have another issue. Its full of flowers buds (100'ish)...has been for weeks. But, apart from the odd one or two at a time (ok, theres now about 6-8), they remain closed. Looks like we might not see its full beauty this year.

The Clematis, which sounds like it went through a fungal issue, also started to grow a bit better in the second half of the summer. In fact, it flowered for the first time last week. However, out in the garden yesterday, I noticed the base of the plant has died again. Will see if it comes back next year, and if not, might plant something else.

The lawn is still very wet, but managed to get a cut in yesterday. But coming up to my favourite time of the year in regards to grass...the time when you dont need to cut it :o

Tried most things this summer after initially being bogged down with qutie a bit of moss (removed), making quite a good recovery (June'ish time) for it then to be sodden with the rain, and back to an in between position (moss gone, but grass not as good as in June time (but better than the spring).

Most things though seem to be going well still. Begonia's in pots are still strong, as are the Geraniums.

Some other flowering plants in the beds at the back, which we planted around May time, still haven't flowered. But too be fair, I cant even remember what they are :p

Also have a shurb (again, don't know what, but Mrs SB1 will know), which seems to have died off.

On a more positive note though, the Lilly of the valley looks like it has made a recovery from the winter...which is nice :whistling:

Note to self though...must cover the fern this winter.

Anyway, so things still looking quite summery in the garden, we no major signs of Autumn yet.

But what about your garden? Anything interesting happening?

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Posted
  • Location: Cheddar Valley, 20mtrs asl
  • Weather Preferences: Snow and lots of it or warm and sunny, no mediocre dross
  • Location: Cheddar Valley, 20mtrs asl

The only interesting thing happening in my garden is a Mole has taken up residence. I had 11 mole hills appear over-night on the lawn, my young cocker spaniel decided to investigate thoroughly; he kindly connected all the mole hills with trenches about 8 inches deep then proceeded to excavate each mole hill. My lawn now resembles a miniature battle of the Somme with trenches and craters every where. Bless him eh....

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Posted
  • Location: Swallownest, Sheffield 83m ASL
  • Location: Swallownest, Sheffield 83m ASL
My lawn now resembles a miniature battle of the Somme with trenches and craters every where.

I had that trouble last year with the kids....

Its been a strange couple of seasons in the garden here. The cherry toms have only just started to produce over the last 3 weeks so I'm hoping that the settled spell comes off. I got some fleeces handy in case of frosts. The grapes were doing well but seemed to have stopped swelling. They look like peas....... Had a great crop of gooseberry's early summer and have pruned out about a third of growth. The black gooseberry's have grown well and have trimmed them back a touch. Should crop well next year. Most of the apples were damaged in the June hailstorm we had. Still, they make good apple pies and super in jam. Have started to pot up the baby strawberry plants. I might see how I do at the car boots next year with those. £1 for three seems the going rate around here. Have binned the marigolds as the snails have had a birthday on them. Runner beans are still going strong and have been cropping heavily over the last couple of weeks. Spuds have done well and have about 4 bags of them. The greenhouse is doing well with beefsteak toms and cucumbers.

Ahhhh Reward time.. :)

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Posted
  • Location: Cheddar Valley, 20mtrs asl
  • Weather Preferences: Snow and lots of it or warm and sunny, no mediocre dross
  • Location: Cheddar Valley, 20mtrs asl

I had to chuckle at that but I doubt you were too amused at the time!

I couldn't help but laugh John, didn't have the heart to tell him off, he looked so comical covered in mud - 7 months old and full of mischief, love him to bits.

You've been busy Potty; Toms have ripened fine down here in the greenhouse, good crop of early Raspberries, not a sausage on the Autumn fruiting ones. Gooseberries did fine too although thanks to saw fly, there's hardly a leaf left, loads of Black and Red currants this year. A huge crop of Medlars, goodness knows what to do with them, the only recipe I can find is for jelly and by all accounts, it's somewhat of an acquired taste. Waiting for the Butternut squash to ripen, they've done really well as have the indoor peppers. Can't find any Sloes anywhere this year, no Sloe Vodka for me this Christmas :) but I did find some lovely Blackberries for a Blackberry&Apple crumble for pudding today, yum yum.

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Posted
  • Location: just south of Doncaster, Sth Yorks
  • Location: just south of Doncaster, Sth Yorks

my you two make me feel ashamed at my lack of anything edible in the garden-I've even ripped out the vine on the back wall of the house, the grapes were latterly pea sized and too small to bother with. Mind you the blackbirds thought they were great, made for an attractive colour motive on the green decking!

I gave up with fruit and veg several years ago, its me age children, so flowers, shrubs etc along with spring bulbs. Means I only have to do two make overs each year-spring and autumn. The latter is in full swing at the moment. My dustmen must wonder what on earth my back garden is like-two wheelie bins already have been chock full and that is before I had stuffed the vine in yesterday.

Major job this autumn is to reline the larger of the two ponds-heaven only knows how much that will cost, either in money or my back problems!

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Posted
  • Location: Vale of York: 14m above mean sea level
  • Location: Vale of York: 14m above mean sea level

My current main job in the garden at the moment is burning all traces of my potato plants after a server attack from blight. :) Although its not all bad, I do still have parsnips, mixed salad leafs, rocket, tomatoes, courgette, pumpkins, runner beans, corn in the ground ready for harvesting over autumn.

My Tips:

  • Only take out organic matter thats for consumption, compost everything else.
  • Don't leave bare earth over winter as some nutrients will be washed away (use a green Manure Crop for large bare areas or mulch).
  • Mulch every year around plants.
  • Leave grass cuttings on the lawn (short regular cuttings) so it breaks down and allows the nutrients back into the soil.
  • Grow confrey to be used as a liquid feed, compost activator or as a mulch.
  • Try and create balanced eco systems (mimic nature).
  • Go organic wherever possible.

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Posted
  • Location: Longlevens, 16m ASL (H)/Bradley Stoke, 75m ASL (W)
  • Weather Preferences: Hot sunny summers, cold snowy winters
  • Location: Longlevens, 16m ASL (H)/Bradley Stoke, 75m ASL (W)

We have had a fairly successful season so far, good crop of courgettes, runner beans, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes,peas, beetroot,rhubarb, strawberries. Parsnips looking promising as are the leeks and butternut squash plants, peppers are getting there and our apple tree planted in spring is bearing 3 nice sized apples which is more than we had expected this year. Work to do is grass over an area where a low wall had previously split the back lawn into two areas, give the hedge at the back boundary a final trim and a good tidy up of the front garden which has had the bear minimum done to it this year. Only moved in last November so efforts went into working on the overgrown back and getting the veg patch going.

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Posted
  • Location: Weston-S-Mare North Somerset
  • Weather Preferences: Hot sunny , cold and snowy, thunderstorms
  • Location: Weston-S-Mare North Somerset

I have a fairly small garden, and I have gone for a wildlife garden.

I have a little pond & a small bog garden. Have loads of frogs not seen any toads or newts though yet.

I use mostly native plants that are high yeilding in nector. I use native bushes and trees. I planted a Victoria plum tree two years ago, and have still not got any plums.

I have bat & bird boxes up, only put them up this Summer so hoping to get some visitors soon.

I like wildlife gardening, because it is easy to do & helps our native flora and fauna.

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Posted
  • Location: Cheddar Valley, 20mtrs asl
  • Weather Preferences: Snow and lots of it or warm and sunny, no mediocre dross
  • Location: Cheddar Valley, 20mtrs asl

Quick eco tip....

If you have room against a wall or fence, leave a bog standard Ivy to sprawl and flower; it's an absolute magnet for Bees. Given the recent decline in populations, they could do with all the help they can get, Ivy flowers at this time of year and it's a great late season source of nectar, giving them a welcome boost before winter. Mine is currently covered in literally hundreds of Bees.

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Posted
  • Location: Nr Appleby in Westmorland
  • Location: Nr Appleby in Westmorland

We collected a load of frog and toad spawn back in the spring (if we hadn't, it would have simply washed into the Irish Sea within a few days, and we only took a tiny fraction of what was there) and put the frog spawn in a small little pond at the far end of the garden near the river, and the toad spawn in a much deeper trug type container. At the weekend, there were a few tadpoles left in both ponds, but I needed my trug back, so I carefully emptied it bucket by bucket and transferred the toad tadpoles into the frogs' pond, even though I don't fancy their chances this late into the year. I also found lots of newt tadpoles, which was nice, and most surprsingly, lots of silvery, small-sardine-looking fish. There must have been eggs in the river water I assume.

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Posted
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District. 290 mts a.s.l.
  • Weather Preferences: Anything extreme
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District. 290 mts a.s.l.

Had plenty of raspberries and red currants earlier in the summer and the autumn fruiting raspberries are just getting going now. I've got 3 pots of blueberries covered in green fruit which seems to look exactly the same as it did a month ago.

Loads of runner beans although the row has a severe lean to the east after the strong winds last week, carrots a plenty although the top inch of each one has been attacked by voles; the first time I've known that happen in almost 30 years of gardening here. Beetroot, parsnips, swede, shallots and courgettes all doing fine although the courgettes are a bit later this year.

A big patch of purple sprouting broccoli and curly kale also looks good after repeated cabbage white egg and caterpillar squashings.

Loads of assorted salad stuff all going well and we may well make another sustained attack on it this week as summer weather makes a temporary return.

With regard to non edibles; the sunflowers are just opening, honeysuckle is in full flower and the hanging baskets look as though hurricane Camille has passed through.

The pond is still full of partially grown tadpoles which I assume will never make it to frogs at this late stage.

The earlier tadpoles did mature and there are now dozens of tiny froglets hopping/crawling about among the pots and attracting the unwelcome attention of the cats.

A tremendous amount of bird activity on the feeders, the most I've known. Most common visitors at present are House Sparrow, Greenfinch, Bullfinch, Goldfinch, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Robin and the occasional Nuthatch.

Not forgetting the ubiquitous Collared Dove and Wood Pigeon.

Edited by Terminal Moraine
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Posted
  • Location: Swallownest, Sheffield 83m ASL
  • Location: Swallownest, Sheffield 83m ASL

Quick eco tip....

If you have room against a wall or fence, leave a bog standard Ivy to sprawl and flower; it's an absolute magnet for Bees. Given the recent decline in populations, they could do with all the help they can get, Ivy flowers at this time of year and it's a great late season source of nectar, giving them a welcome boost before winter. Mine is currently covered in literally hundreds of Bees.

Talking of bees..

I'm thinking about keeping bees starting next year. Will be going to the local bee-keepers association meeting next week to find out more. Seems simple enough to set up and maintain and with the association, there seems to be plenty of helping hands. Total start-up costs are around £500 to buy a new hive and bees but there is a second hand option. Also, if anyone has a plot of land that could house a hive or two, bee-keepers are often on the lookout for somewhere to house their bees and often return the favour with honey. You will be helping to maintain the UK bee population even if you don't want to look after them yourself. Just contact your local bee keepers association and let them know that you're interested and have some room available.

If anyone is interested, there are links to your local association and also lots of information here........

http://www.britishbee.org.uk/

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Posted
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District. 290 mts a.s.l.
  • Weather Preferences: Anything extreme
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District. 290 mts a.s.l.

carrots a plenty although the top inch of each one has been attacked by voles; the first time I've known that happen in almost 30 years of gardening here.

It transpires that the villain is not Voles at all but a Grey Squirrel. Apologies to all Voles.

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Posted
  • Location: Derby - 46m (151ft) ASL
  • Location: Derby - 46m (151ft) ASL

It transpires that the villain is not Voles at all but a Grey Squirrel. Apologies to all Voles.

I know some think they're pests, but our grey squirrels have all but disappeared this spring/summer. Hopefully they'll come back, as Toddler SB1 would find the little critters something of an amazement at her age now/

Just put our last tomato plant out the back from the balcony. The plant itself has all but died, but the fruit is still rippening. Unfortunately, the skins are now a bit hard, but they added well to the tomato salad last night.

In fact, balcony is all clear, and just waiting for the fig tree leaves to fall (starting to turn yellow). Only one fruit this year, which funnily fell off around late spring. So not fruitful (pardon the pun) at all this year (I think we had about 3-5 fruit last year).

Will clear up the front once the cars are washed this afternoon, leaving just the back to be pruned.

Doesnt seem worth it this weekend, as there's still quite a bit of colour left, and have already removed the dead plants.

The hawthorn will once again need trimming, but whilst there's plenty of berries on it, will leave it for the animals to eat.

A question for Mushy - When roughly is the last cut of the grass for the year?

I cut it last weekend, and we already have 1-2 inch growth. In fact, some of the patches have had 3inches growth in a week.

Overall, starting to get that gardening feeling for the autumn. Theres nothing like spending a day out the back, pruning and clearing everything up.

Edited by Shiny_Bottom_1
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Posted
  • Location: Heswall, Wirral
  • Weather Preferences: Summer: warm, humid, thundery. Winter: mild, stormy, some snow.
  • Location: Heswall, Wirral

It's worth checking the edibility of your fuchsia berries, some can be quite tasty, still worth researching that because the hybrids (aka standard garden fuchsias) may be inedible. The original fuchsias though such as Fuchsia boliviana and Fuchsia triphylla and Fuchsia fulgens are edible and high is fructose making them particularly sweet.

As for Autumn, well our summer bedding usually lasts into November, sometimes even December, so we wait that one out, our Begonias and Gingers will stay in the ground until around November and the Pelargoniums don't need removing as they grow all year round anyway. The Portulacas also may last until November, but I'm doing something many may find particularly bizarre - I'm scattering the Portulaca seeds around in the cracks of our paving, the same goes for Antirrhinum and Lewisia cotyledon, to get some natural looking alpine type growth next year as I'm a big fan of alpine plants.

For Autumn-Winter bedding I've used Cyclamen, Pansies and Primulas as I want to the garden to show some colour, and usually we get a good display from Pansies all winter.

I think Autumn will be the time I have to start thinking about protecting all my tender species perhaps, for the first frosts. Those species include: Chamaedorea elegans, Schefflera arboricola, Bougainvillea glabra..

Eitherway Autumn is just as colourful as summer in my garden or at least I try to make it be..

I'll post some photos in the week perhaps

Edited by SPWirral
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Posted
  • Location: Derby - 46m (151ft) ASL
  • Location: Derby - 46m (151ft) ASL

Well, 10 days on, and one thing I've now noticed is that the grass growth is starting to decline. Its now taking about 10 days to grow what it did in 6-7 days a little earlier this month. Will need a trim though.

Bergonia's (and in fact, Geraniums) are still strong, as our our sweet peas.

Passion flower looks like dying before managing to give us a spectacular event. A shame, but there's always next year.

Still trying to work out what we planted at the end of the garden, which has grown, but not flowered all summer.

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Posted
  • Location: Heswall, Wirral
  • Weather Preferences: Summer: warm, humid, thundery. Winter: mild, stormy, some snow.
  • Location: Heswall, Wirral

Your Passionflower will be fine - if you want it to flower well next year I'd replant it with sandy soil, but only after the winter frosts have gone.

Edited by SPWirral
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  • 2 weeks later...
Posted
  • Location: Derby - 46m (151ft) ASL
  • Location: Derby - 46m (151ft) ASL

He's a wierd one.

When these houses were built about 4 years a go, the builders planted a tree in the back garden of each house.

Some people have removed them, but some have left them (like ourselves).

If i'm honest, I haven't got the foggiest what they are, but i'm 90% sure we have the same tree than 2 doors down.

However, in Spring, the tree two doors down started shooting leaves about a 3-4 weeks before ours, and now autumn is knocking, the leaves are yellowing and falling on the tree two doors down. Our is still full of only green leaves.

Considering we are talking only 40m away, i'm a little lost as to why the same tree is reacting so differently.

Any suggestions?

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Posted
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District. 290 mts a.s.l.
  • Weather Preferences: Anything extreme
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District. 290 mts a.s.l.

He's a wierd one.

When these houses were built about 4 years a go, the builders planted a tree in the back garden of each house.

Some people have removed them, but some have left them (like ourselves).

If i'm honest, I haven't got the foggiest what they are, but i'm 90% sure we have the same tree than 2 doors down.

However, in Spring, the tree two doors down started shooting leaves about a 3-4 weeks before ours, and now autumn is knocking, the leaves are yellowing and falling on the tree two doors down. Our is still full of only green leaves.

Considering we are talking only 40m away, i'm a little lost as to why the same tree is reacting so differently.

Any suggestions?

Without knowing the area of Derby you're in I'd suggest that, with the houses being relatively new, the difference is due to differing soil types being redistributed across the building site by the landscapers.

The tree a few doors down may well have a pocket of sandy loam which warms up sooner in the spring but which also dries out quickly in any prolonged dry weather, such as recently.

Is your ground a heavier clay soil? If so it will warm up slowly in spring and delay leafing but will also retain moisture longer during a dry spell and help the tree retain its leaves.

Building site landscapers are notorious for shovelling back 'topsoil' in a very haphazard fashion so that some houses will be left with a garden full of clay subsoil whereas others in the same street will benefit from 2 feet of beautiful loam.

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Posted
  • Location: just south of Doncaster, Sth Yorks
  • Location: just south of Doncaster, Sth Yorks

Without knowing the area of Derby you're in I'd suggest that, with the houses being relatively new, the difference is due to differing soil types being redistributed across the building site by the landscapers.

The tree a few doors down may well have a pocket of sandy loam which warms up sooner in the spring but which also dries out quickly in any prolonged dry weather, such as recently.

Is your ground a heavier clay soil? If so it will warm up slowly in spring and delay leafing but will also retain moisture longer during a dry spell and help the tree retain its leaves.

Building site landscapers are notorious for shovelling back 'topsoil' in a very haphazard fashion so that some houses will be left with a garden full of clay subsoil whereas others in the same street will benefit from 2 feet of beautiful loam.

very true TM as I've experienced on more than one occasion

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Posted
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District. 290 mts a.s.l.
  • Weather Preferences: Anything extreme
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District. 290 mts a.s.l.

very true TM as I've experienced on more than one occasion

Yes, John, although I've never had the misfortune to own such a property I have done a lot of tree and shrub planting on new sites in the past. Some of the 'topsoil' in the gardens was defintiely in contravention of the trades descriptions act; thick blue or yellow clay full of wire, brick ends, plastic sheeting, conduit and broken scaffold boards.

Enough to make a gardener weep.

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Posted
  • Location: Hampshire Snow Hoper
  • Location: Hampshire Snow Hoper

Here in Central Southern England its the dryness that is the problem,how hardly any of the people seem to understand the need to water when im not there beggars belief,yet still bleating that the borders look a little drab

To me personally,a busy time approaches but planting stuff without rain ie wallflowers ect with no customer back up is not an option ditto splitting transplanting too of perennials.

I have no statistical records,but would think that the period march to now excluding july is probably one of the driest of my 19 gardening years.

One observation i did make though is that the massive snow melt that we had in feb gave all hedging a kick start that continued all year i have never had so much hedge work to do before.

So much as i will probably moan as rain droplets drip off my nose soon,during the much needed rainstorms here its becoming a real problem as it is i gather in eastern counties.

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Posted
  • Location: Weston-S-Mare North Somerset
  • Weather Preferences: Hot sunny , cold and snowy, thunderstorms
  • Location: Weston-S-Mare North Somerset

Here in Central Southern England its the dryness that is the problem,how hardly any of the people seem to understand the need to water when im not there beggars belief,yet still bleating that the borders look a little drab

To me personally,a busy time approaches but planting stuff without rain ie wallflowers etc with no customer back up is not an option ditto splitting transplanting too of perennials.

I have no statistical records,but would think that the period march to now excluding July is probably one of the driest of my 19 gardening years.

One observation i did make though is that the massive snow melt that we had in Feb gave all hedging a kick start that continued all year i have never had so much hedge work to do before.

So much as i will probably moan as rain droplets drip off my nose soon,during the much needed rainstorms here its becoming a real problem as it is i gather in eastern counties.

Did a bit of tidying up in the garden today, and boy was the ground dry. Really hard going, need some rain soon, don't want a wet winter, but I think many places need one, certainly down South.

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