Colourful boost

• Don't let your garden be dull in October!  There's some gorgeous plants and shrubs in the most fantastic colours available.
• How about flowering naked ladies, Sedum and autumn chrysanthemums?
• Some plants stand out because of their foliage; others have magnificent flowers or colourful ornamental fruit.
• All kinds of holly, crab-apple, snowberry and spindle tree varieties can give your garden a colourful boost in the autumn.

Autumn colours are slowly starting to dominate, and the garden is preparing for the winter. Now is nature's best time for planting - so perfect for putting in new plants or trees.  If you have you a suitable spot for winter-flowering plants that you can see clearly from the house then how about something like a witch hazel or a flowering cherry. And if you have a balcony instead of a garden, winter jasmine is ideal. Place the bush in a spacious pot or tub and give it some support - it will do the rest.

Fallen leaves
Fallen leaves are not only good for the compost heap or for producing leaf mould; they can also be used to cover sensitive large perennials like Gunnera. Leave the Gunnera foliage in place, but create a fifty centimetre high netting fence around the base of the plant and fill the space within it with fallen leaves.

Taking root
Plant your trees, shrubs and perennials now - that will give them ample opportunity to take root before winter sets in. This will give them a growth advantage over their peers that are not planted until the spring. You can also plant bulbs now. What about establishing an autumn tradition and getting the whole family into the garden for a bulb planting day? Set them to work with a basket of bulbs and a trowel - then all you have to do is look forward to next spring.

Prune bleeding trees
A number of trees can bleed heavily if pruned in the spring because the sap flows are particularly strong then. It is therefore better to prune varieties such as birches, maples and walnut now if necessary.

Planting
October is the ideal month for planting. Growers have done a lot to extend the planting season, partly by cultivating in pots and containers, nevertheless autumn is nature's preferred planting time. By planting in October shrubs, trees and perennials can become firmly rooted before winter, which gives them an advantage in the spring compared to plants which are only planted then.

Replant shrubs
Because shrubs emerge from the soil with a number of branches, it is easier to replant and above all move them if you tie the branches together. For plants with spiky branches it is best to wrap a thick cloth around the branches first.

Climbing and rambling shrubs cannot be replanted without pruning them back substantially. There is a substantial risk that they will not sprout again from somewhat older growth. It is therefore difficult to replant old climbers.

Plant heather
October is an excellent month for planting heather. Plant it two centimetres deeper than the plants are supplied in their pots. This prevents them from being tugged by strong winds, which can interfere with the roots becoming established. Planting deeper also prevents the sun from shining on the roots.

Plant bulbs
Do not forget to plant spring-flowering bulbs.

Entrench fuchsias and geraniums
A lot of people do not have the space in their house, shed or garage to overwinter their collection of fuchsias and geraniums (Pelargonium). You can also bury them in the garden (cover with soil) or leave them to overwinter in a large box with pot soil.

Dig up bulb and tuber crops

• Gladioli, Ixias, dahlias, tuberous begonias etc. cannot cope with frost and ideally need to be dug up now if you want to keep them.
• The signal for this is usually the blackening of the foliage on the dahlias due to low temperatures.
• Do not dig them up too soon, since the growth of bulbs and tubers particularly occurs during this late period.
• Cut stems two centimetres above the bulb or tuber and leave the stumps to dry out in a dry, well-ventilated spot.
• After a while they will let go easily and the soil around the bulb or tuber will also have dried out enough for most of it to fall off.
• There is no need to clean them further.
• Store the bulbs or tubers in a cool place which is usually damp.

Make compost
October traditionally sees a lot of organic waste coming from the garden. Instead of removing it, why not make compost from it?

Make manure weed-free

One of the most popular Halloween pastimes is making a Jack-o'-Lantern - it is typically a carved pumpkin. One of the explanations behind its existence is that it was named after the phenomenon of strange light flickering over peat bogs, called ignis fatuus or jack-o'-lantern. You can make up your own design for your pumpkin lantern or, if you have teenagers who fancy something more complicated, there are loads of free stencils that you can download from the internet - you can even buy pumpkin carving sets.

If you like the idea of  pumpkin carving in a group, look at what's going on in your local area - we, at Hayes Garden World, are inviting our Budding Gardeners back this month to carve the pumpkins they have been growing over the summer. The kids really enjoyed planting the pumpkin seeds and it will be great to see how they have got on. I am sure there will be a few extra pumpkins on hand just in case!

Carving a pumpkin and composting the flesh seems such a waste so here is a delicious and quick way to use it up. The recipe is for a hearty spicy soup but if you like you can leave the spices out.


Spicy Pumpkin Soup (Serves four)

1kg pumpkin flesh, cut into small pieces
1 chopped onion
3 chopped leeks
1 litre chicken stock
100ml double cream
2 garlic cloves
1 tbs grated fresh ginger
Fresh coriander leaves chopped
Roasted pumpkin seeds
Seasoning - chilli, salt and black pepper to taste
Butter

Add onion, garlic, ginger, coriander, leek and pumpkin to a large pan and fry in butter for a few minutes to soften then add the chicken stock. Add some chopped coriander leaves and season with salt, black pepper and chilli powder. Simmer for about 30 minutes then add the cream. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary then puree.

Serve hot, garnished with roasted pumpkin seeds, coriander leaves and a swirl of cream and accompanied with crusty bread.

Whether you have grown your own pumpkins or are buying them from the local grocers, don't forget to have a look at some of the more unusual varieties that are available. They come in a range of different sizes, shapes and colours which may not be suitable for carving but make great decoration in a mixed group.


You can even use tubs and baskets to make a halloween display, use orange pansies and black grass Ophiopogon.

If you are having a Halloween party you may like to decorate the house or garden. Try using the same design ideas you would for Christmas. At Hayes, our Christmas department has just opened and along with the typical gold and silver we have a more natural section which may provide ideas.

There are Physalis (Chinese lantern) indoor lights or plain orange coloured outdoor lights which you can thread around the room or through your shrubbery.

Use orange crepe paper for garlands or streamers.

Decorate a tree outside or pot up an interesting dead branch and decorate it indoors with fruit and orange streamers.

You could decorate a plain twig wreath with a collection of autumn leaves, small gourds and orange ribbon.

And most important, don't forget to buy in plenty of candles for your Pumpkin lanterns!

Planting bulbs as they would appear in the wild; in broad swaths, scattered amongst other flowers - is instantly appealing. Relaxed, carefree and low on maintenance, there are just as many varieties suitable for naturalising as regular planting, with the reassurance of easily achieved, spectacular results every time.

The sight in spring of a water meadow filled with fritillaries, a bluebell wood or alliums drifting through a Chelsea show garden, is undoubtedly breath-taking. But the quality of next year's display depends on the freshness of this year's bulbs; so choose only the best, as soon as they arrive in store, for blooms that won't fail to impress.

Follow Mother Nature's example and plant in large numbers - threading ribbons of colour through existing beds and borders, or ‘layering' bulbs, corms and tubers more formally, between spring bedding and early-flowering perennials, in a subtly choreographed, but naturalistic way.

Bulb planters, both long-handled and short, are ideal for planting a large quantity of bulbs, in a fraction of the time. Remember the intention is to leave them undisturbed for many years, so space well and plant deeply - adding greater numbers towards the centre of the display and tailing-off towards the edges, as if they had naturally self-seeded.

Smaller bulbs, such as Crocus, Muscari, snowdrops and wood anemones are easier to plant by the handful, lifting a square of turf or soil and scattering them beneath. Replace and press down firmly, dotting a few extras between the "squares", for a softer appearance.

Bulbs can transform grass, whether just a small section of lawn is carpeted, or an entire meadow. Both cultivated hybrids and "wild" species are suitable, but varieties must be robust enough to compete with grass roots and growing foliage. Think outside the "norm", beyond classic golden daffodils, to the remarkable range suitable for grass. Round-headed alliums, elegant tulips, iris and the Summer Snowflake, Leucojum aestivum may all be grown in this way.


Simply giving the illusion of nature gives the greatest scope, with unlimited variety and sequential flowering. Overlap displays with distinct times of blooming - such as three varieties of Narcissus or Tulipa; beginning with massed small "wild" or dwarf hybrids, leading in to dependable mid-season cultivars, followed by tall-growing, fragile or dramatic double hybrids that make the most of milder spring weather.

In the lawn, perhaps define an area by mowing a neat border around it - and if large, also a path through it. A random scattering of bulbs gives the illusion of natural self-seeding; which is especially true of species Crocus or Narcissi, snakes-head fritillaries and snowdrops.

Bulb foliage must be allowed to die back naturally, for at least 6-weeks after flowering (regardless of how untidy they become). Careful choice of varieties can limit this, by selecting those with neater, shorter leaves that helpfully quickly fade. In fact, many larger bulbs actually look less obtrusive as their foliage withers, when surrounded by grass, rather than isolated in a manicured flower bed.

Plant earlier-flowering varieties in lawns that have to be mown in spring, giving plenty of time for their leaves to return nutrients to the tuberous roots; snowdrops, winter aconites, wood anemones, Chionodoxa, Crocus and Scilla - the Siberian Squill, will happily colonise considerable areas once established.

To enhance the natural beauty of woodland, or create pools of colour through subtle summer planting, choose bulbs for succession of flower, height, contrast and form. Once again, alliums come to the fore, seeding freely amongst roses, lavender, perennials and ornamental grasses; along with vivid pink Gladiolus byzantina and cool ice-blue Camassia.

So why not take a leaf out of Mother Nature's book and become a "natural gardener" - adopting a relaxed approach and making the most of each season's finest flower.


View our great range of Spring-Flowering Bulbs in-store NOW.

The delights of bulbs are not limited only to spring. As garden greenery takes on autumnal tints, late-flowering bulbs provide all the freshness and glamour one could wish for - with many varieties available pot-grown and already in flower.

• Amaryllis belladonna - not to be confused with the tender indoor Hippeastrum, hardy Amaryllis are the majesties of the bulb world. Benefitting from the backing of a warm wall and South-facing sun, their large fragrant trumpet-flowers come in shades of candy pink to pure white.
• Colchicum - commonly called ‘naked ladies' for their slender stemmed "water lily" flowers, opening months ahead of their broad spring leaves; robust Colchicum naturalise well in grass or beneath shrubs and trees, where their fresh goblet-shaped blooms stand proud of groundcover perennials and fallen leaves.
• Cyclamen hederifolium - (also known as C. neapolitanum) flourishes in dry shade, with reflexed sugary pink, mauve or white flowers opening just ahead of attractively silvery-marbled leaves. Plant pot-grown corms for carpets of colour beneath specimen trees and conifers.
• Nerine bowdenii - from South Africa's Drakensberg Mountains, thrives in dry, sun-baked places; against a sunny wall or in a free-draining gravel garden. Flowering well once settled and mature - intersperse with tender salvias or aromatic Perovskia for ‘Cottage Gardening' with an exotic twist.
• Schizostylis coccinea - a moisture loving native of South African stream banks; spikes of red, pink or white flowers open above "grassy" foliage, alluding to its lily family relations. Looking fresh as other plants fade, partner Schizostylis with ornamental grasses and other front-of-the-border perennials for a sensational late-summer show.