Autumn is well and truly here, temperatures dropping, nights drawing in I can understand how this can seem a little depressing and that is why we should make even more of an effort to spend time outdoors.
We love visiting other gardens and find autumn just as rewarding as spring and summer, with its rich tones of golden yellow, fiery red and orange, made all the more striking by the low winter sun. Wrap up warm, take a flask of your favourite hot drink and just revel in the beauty of nature in your local park or the countryside, it will certainly recharge your batteries and give the children an opportunity to let off steam.
On my morning stroll it is clear that the trees and shrubs are getting ready for their winter rest and already shedding large quantities of leaves, so do you wait until they have all fallen or do you start collecting them up now? There are some who just clear footpaths and the lawn leaving those that fall on the borders to hopefully rot down in situ. I am in the camp of clearing them up a little at a time and creating a heap separate from my compost heap, allowing the leaves to rot down over several months and using the resulting compost in my potting mix for special plants. For those with little time and space it is probably just a case of clearing them up and either putting them in the garden waste bin or on the compost heap, both of which are perfectly sensible. The key is to do it on a nice day ideally when the sun is shining or use it as a way of encouraging the children to earn a little extra pocket money, although be mindful that children can be quite inventive where income is concerned and you may find them collecting leaves up and down the street to boost their return.
Growing up in the 1960s, garlic was not seen as a kitchen essential, indeed there were few households who would dare to risk introducing it to the daily diet, a popular quote often recited that garlic, ‘builds you up physically but drags you down socially’ referring to the positive health benefits but the pungent aroma which seems to linger for a couple of days. Today it seems that we have embraced the value of garlic and its place in our kitchens as we explore a wider culinary experience. So how easy is it to grow and can you just plant supermarket bought cloves?
Garlic is relatively easy to grow but requires a free draining soil, if your soil is heavy clay then it can be grown in pots. It is best to buy garlic from the garden centre, nursery or specialist supplier as they have been specifically produced for growing on. They will look just like the garlic you buy in shops which is a cluster of corms that need to be carefully separated and planted individually. There are two main types, ‘soft-neck’, do not generally produce a flower spike are softer, milder in flavour, and less hardy, whereas ‘hard-neck’ cultivars throw up a flowering spike, called a ‘scape’ which can be removed when they are about 30cm (1ft) long and used in stir-fry dishes or to make pesto. They are hardier than the ‘soft-neck’ types and have a stronger flavour.
Garlic likes rich soil with plenty of well rotted compost and a sprinkling of general fertiliser at planting time. Space the individual cloves about 15cm (6 inches) apart and 3 – 4cm (1.5 inches) deep. Choose a sunny position that is sheltered from strong winds. Water after planting and through the growing season if the soil dries out. Autumn planting is carried out in October/November and will tolerate the cold growing steadily and will be ready for harvesting in June/July the following year. If your soil is on the heavy side leave planting until January or February, again the garlic will be ready to harvest once the leaves start to turn yellow, around late July. ‘Soft-neck’ cultivars to try include, rhapsody, provence and mersley wight, for ‘hard-neck’ try kingsland wight or caulk wight. Garlic can be grown in pots of good compost, I prefer using a John Innes loam based compost, placing three cloves in a 15cm (6 inch pot), or eight in a 25cm (10 inch pot), choose pots between 15cm – 25cm deep to allow the garlic space to develop.
We are right in the middle of the autumn bulb planting season and spring bulbs like crocus, grape hyacinth and many of the narcissus should be in the ground. October and November are the best time to plant tulips. There is much written about growing bulbs for pot display, increasing in popularity is the technique called ‘bulb lasagne’ where they are placed in layers in a pot and will flower at different times, check out the internet to see how this is done.
Happy gardening, Martin
Next month, (winter pruning roses, deal with a waterlogged lawn, finish planting autumn bedding).
