The Garden In October

At long last we got the Indian summer we hardly dared even to hope for. Water-logged soil got a chance to dry out and we got some time to enjoy the outdoors for more than an hour at a stretch. October is the month when the garden is starting to wind down and is starting to need a tidy-up.

Cutting plants back: For non gardeners who feel mysified by the whole thing, I want them to imagine that the garden really needs tidying in much the same way as a house does. If there is mess in the house it gets picked up and put in the right place.If there is dust it gets sucked away. And with the garden it's much the same thing. Lower plants such as flowers, herbs and grasses may look 'messy'. In which case, take off the messy bits. This is why you need a decent pair of secateurs - these are the most important tool this month, and you can, quite literally, chop off anything that looks tatty or ragged. Plants that have fallen asunder under their own weight can be cut down to a few inches, such as Nepeta, Fennel or Verbena bonariensis, though make sure to wait until they really have finished flowering - milk beauty for all it is worth. Some woody plants can also be trimmed back, such as the old flowers on Buddleia, Rose and Hydrangea, though again, if they look half way decent they are better left on the plant, where they may become food for birds of have an interesting shape. They can always be nipped of later.

Soil: If you do take a lot out of the garden, it only makes sense that something goes back in again. If you have a compost heap, or actually a couple of them, you can start removing some of last year's compost and spreading it back on the beds. Compost improves soil structure, puts nutrients into the soil, protects the upper surface from being battered by the rain (which in turn stops plants from being splattered with wet soil). Products such as Gee-Up, which is a naturally procesed derivative of horse manure where all the weed seeds have been killed by heating, do all of the above and are especially rich in nutrients. They also give the beds a 'clean' appearance and suppress weeds, leading to healthier growth next year. It can be a big investment in time, energy and money, but keeping the soil in your garden has to be one of the most important things if you want it to flourish.

Autumn colour: This is the month for autumn colour. This is caused by chlorophyll leaving the leaves to return back into the plant, and other pigments remaining. In climates where there is a more dramatic change in temperature, the process happens faster and with more intensity - think of New England, which is hot in the summer and freezing in the winter. In Ireland, it depends to some extent on the year that's in it, but there are some plants which give us a good show over here, of which here are a few which spring to mind;

Ginkgo biloba (Ginkgo), Metasequoia glyptostroboides (Dawn redwood), Fagus sylvatica (Beech), Cercidiphyllum japonicum (Katsura tree), Liquidambar styraciflua (Sweetgum), Carpinus beltulus (Hornbeam)), Cotinus coggygria (Smokebush), Gleditsia triacanthos 'Sunburst' (Golden honey locust) and Parottia persicaria (Persian ironwood).

Other plants that shouldn't be overlooked for great leaf colour include the various climbers of the Parthenocissus (Virginia creeper / Boston ivy) genus: tricuspidata, quinquefolia and henryana. These great climbers can cover walls and trellises, don't need any help, and put on a fabulous show. Some people complain that they are bare for half of the year, but that's the price you pay for something that offers so much during the other half of the year. Also, their branches and twigs give any wall or building a most distinguished air and cause no damage to masonry.

Bulbs: This is the time to plant bulbs. They started to become available in September, and now there is a huge range available. It's a strange thing to do, and the fruits of your labour are not seen until springtime, but having bulbs in the garden is having something to look forward to, and help pull us all out of yet another winter. For more formal areas, tulips are the natural choice. There are some really gorgeous ones, such as the Peony and Lily-flowered ones like angelique and Claudia, as well as delicately scented one. Most varieties weaken each year and after a few years wont return (though people often have stories which dispute this!) Daffodils are better for'naturalising' and can be planted into grass lawns or uder trees. They should be planted in 'drifts' throw a few handfuls up into teh air and plant them where they land. Keep the grass short until the shoots emerge, and then leave the area around them un-mown. Let them flower, let the flowers fade, wait for the foliage to die back, and only then cut the grass. This will leave 'islands' of longer grass up into April and May which look completely fine (I think they look positively nice),which should be strimmed down once the bulb foliage has wilted. These drifts will strengthen year on year until you have 'hosts' of golden daffodils (and hopefully white and cream ones too). Another bulb which is deservedly popular is Allium, the 'purple ball'. By buyng and planting it now you save masses of money, as the price for three flowers in bloom in early summer is very different from three bulbs bought now. Read more on how to plant bulbs...

The Garden in September...