Readers’ gardens
The big clear up has continued in the garden and I’ve been busy cutting back and tidying up any plants that’ll be overwintered in the greenhouses. The hostas, eucomis, osteospermums, abutilons and agapanthus will all go in the cold greenhouse, covered with thick fleece if it turns really cold. I’ll put the potted cannas, pineapple sage and lemon verbena under the bench in the pot plant greenhouse where there’s a little bit of heat over winter.
Barry helped me lift the standard fuchsias out of the large tubs and I’ve repotted them into the smallest pots I can get away with. I’ve cut them back and removed any foliage. I only kept the best plants, otherwise the greenhouse gets too full.
Some plants in the garden seem to have got a new lease of life, especially the Ipomoea lobata, which now has lots of flowers. Begonias and trailing geraniums were still looking good at the end of October, and sedums and solanum ‘Album’ continue to do well.
The cobaea and ‘Heavenly Blue’ morning glories are still flowering their heads off. I haven’t as many pale pink nerine flowers as usual, and I have a vivid pink one but I don’t know where it has come from!
I’ve planted up pots, baskets and window boxes with mini daffs ‘Tête-à-tête’ and ‘Minnow’, with mixed colours of pansies and a very pretty primrose named ‘Sunrise’.
Barry has been busy in the veg garden and has planted some garlic. We’re enjoying kale and spinach and the leeks are growing well. He’s disappointed with the parsnips, which are smaller than usual.
The grass in the front garden took a hammering over summer and looks dreadful. Barry has been giving it some TLC using an autumn weed and feed, a good raking and he’ll also resow the bare patches with grass seed.