Getting your Garden ready for Winter

Making the most of May in the Garden

There is so much to enjoy about late autumn, the flavours of the season, the last of the rich warm hues in the cutting garden and of course mother nature's changing palette all around us. In this blog we look at a few things to
tackle during before winter arrives.

Rake & Mulch  It's time to rake up the leaves as they fall, although it's not our favourite task, once collected & left to break down they make amazing mulch, soil conditioner & can be added to compost to complete the cycle.

Autumn Harvest With the last of the summer crops coming to an end it's time to lift & store root crops, pumpkins can be brought in also. What to do with your last tomatoes? ours are chopped into chutney & made into winter soups & sauces for the freezer.

Final Planting & Sowing  May is really the last chance to plant bulbs if you want to enjoy them in Spring. Now is the ideal time to plant Tulips as they don’t like to sit for a long period in wet soil. It's also not too late to plant other spring bulbs while the soil is still warm, this will also extend your spring flowering displays.

 Getting ready for Winter

• Finish autumn weeding, dig compost/fertilize & mulch
• Start to feed the birds as natural food sources begin to disappear
• If you have a birdbath keep an eye on the water level & keep it clean
• If your soil is wet lift dahlia & gladioli corms as they die down
• Sow green manures on any empty vegetable beds
• Peg down strawberry runners, only use the first one from the main plant
• Garlic can be started now ready to go in next month
• Shrubs can be pruned to promote new growth come spring
• If temperatures remain warm or dry keep watering your pots
• Lawns can be aerated and spiked, fill the holes with sharp sand to improve drainage