It's autumn - even though we've perhaps just finished our summer holidays - and we can do stuff in our gardens now that will prove fruitful next year.
Sowing hardy annual flowers now, instead of in spring, will mean earlier flowers, plants that have a bigger root system - and thus more able to cope with droughts, and likely many more flowers all summer, though to next autumn. Hardy annuals are plants that normally germinate from seed, grow, flower and die all in one year and have some tolerance to frosts.
I'm sowing
Calendula - cream, yellow, oranges
Escholzia californica: Californian poppies: same colour range as Calendula
Sweet Peas: huge colour range, these are mostly climbers with delicous scents.
Poppies: mainly native poppies, in reds and purples.
Nigella (not the chef beauty) Mainly in good blues, a delicate looking tough plant.
You could also help keep leaves out of your pond if you protect. Decaying vegetation feeds algae growth, making water greener.
Springs bulbs:
My Narcissus have always started to root by the last week in August. So now is a good time to buy and plant. Tons of varieties: from late Feb to April flowers, and mixed colours.
Tulips: I generally plant through to November, as my soil easily rots them - can also be pot planted, so less of an issue.
Just some thoughts - what are you planning? |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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Can you plant sweet peas outside now? Or do you mean in a greenhouse?
I'm getting more daffodil and crocus bulbs to plant. I can never remember where the other bulbs are so I might end up with hundreds in the same place.   |
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Sweet peas can benefit from a little protection over winter. You could sow in pots, prick out individually and then keep them with some protection.
Cloches may be fine, if ground planted, in milder areas. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Sweet peas can benefit from a little protection over winter. You could sow in pots, prick out individually and then keep them with some protection.
Cloches may be fine, if ground planted, in milder areas. "
Thank you  |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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A major clear out at the bottom of the garden to create a new secluded sunbathing area. Now my son has outgrown the trampoline and other garden paraphernalia of his childhood it's time to reclaim part of it for more adult pursuits |
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By *ady LickWoman
over a year ago
Northampton Somewhere |
Wow OP that's quite impressive.
The only thing we are doing is preparing our empty veg plots for next year and trying to keep on top of the basics. Easier than it sounds as we have quite a big garden with trees |
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My Californian poppies are great - they've now naturised into the edges of a tarmac drive. They much prefer growing in poorer soils, rather than fertile. But tarmac with a. Bit of dust is impressive.
I'm going to repot some of my summer cuttings too, giving them opportunity to develop a greater root network over winter.
It's a good time to feed your lawn with a feed that promotes root growth - but not leaf growth. |
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