Make Your Garden Winter Ready Expert tips
Susie beds down the garden, but can still enjoy plenty of colourful blooms
Dew on the grass in the mornings, a robin hopping round my feet, butterflies feeding on Michaelmas daisies; autumn has its own beauty. It’s a time to look back at how the year has been – and what a strange one in many ways. A spring-like week in February, a humid heatwave in July, storms and heavy rain in August. I marvel at how my plants stood up to it all, yet the garden has looked fabulous.
Key to its success is mulching. Having got it weed free in late winter, we laid down a thick carpet of wood chip which kept the soil moist, so I never had to water during those many weeks without rain. I also never staked anything. By growing plants close together they supported each other and stayed upright through all the high winds.
Now I’m cutting back some perennial plants – any that will look a soggy mess if left over winter, such as hardy geraniums – but leaving interesting seedheads and sculptural plants like sea hollies and Jerusalem sage. Grasses should not be cut back until February and these will look beautiful on frosty days. I think about what has been successful. Wanting to have colour in front of the kitchen window, I planted up five identical tall terracotta pots with my favourite dahlia called ‘Totally Tangerine’ and it was a delight. The flowers were at just the right height for me to see them when sitting at the table and their gorgeous pinky-apricot colour was emphasised by a backdrop of deep purple lavender.
I grew some wonderful annuals that were new to me: Scabious ‘Ebony and Ivory’ and Poppy ‘Pink Fizz’ from T and M seeds, Zinnia ‘Queen Red Lime’ from Suttons, Echium ‘Red Feathers and Zinnia ‘Zinderella Red’ from Chilterns Seeds. My top plant was a pot of Laurentia ‘Avant Garde’ from a garden centre and covered in pink starry flowers – an absolute must for me to grow from seed next year.