autumn doings

I had a general clear up yesterday, to get things into the green bin for the collection tomorrow. I’m limited as to what I can do at the moment, but I deadheaded stuff, emptied wall planters that had gone over, cut down the hollyhocks, (which have been lovely this year), shedding seeds all over the place?; some pesky sea holly which I can’t seem to entirely get rid of; cleared the tomatoes away, which contrary to expectations did very well. I took a bag over to DD’s on Saturday. Lots of plants have got their “second wind” since the drought ended. I’ll probably have a bite sized go at it on a daily basis weather permitting.

all my tomatoes have ripened, very happy, I picked the last from outside a few weeks ago.

Howgate wonder apples are now picked and in the garage, not many as the tree is young, I removed lots before june. The biggest was 932g. Gorgeous apple

A total of 26 bags of john innes 3 finally bought and moved, good exercise. The raised beds are all fully filled, slightly mounded as they will flatten. All 48 strawberry plugs filled their 9cm pots with roots and I have washed and refilled 24 troughs, took a while but was worth it

I have to wash all those pots, will wait for a sunny day. My blueberry leaves are turning red, always the first in my garden. I pruned down the moved roses, only leaving stems and they look healthy and green, I am sure they will survive

Not much more to do, maybe mulching soon, I have 3 bags of composted bark in the garage. I also want to move 3 ben sarek blackcurrants, only been in a year and will wait for dormancy, then a bit more re-positioning of more roses in the back, again only been in a year.

The sudden cool weather made me glad that I set-to early with autumn cleaning

Yesterday we caught squirrel no. 3 who has been relocated to the same park as his compatriots. I woke this morning wondering if they have met up yet.

Cleared the three raised beds yesterday and dug them over. That was enough for the day and it began to rain anyway. I need to plant some broad beans , buy some hyacinth bulbs and plant some small alliums. Plus do something with the apples we have. Then rest until the leaves fall.

My favourite Autumn job - and Autumn is my favourite gardening season - is raking the leaves. We are surrounded by trees, plus some in our graden, I just wait until they are all dowwn, usually late November/early December, dress upwarmly and rake the leaves, the smell, the gentle action, and cool autumn sun. Wonderful!

Well, I did a very odd thing last week - I cut the grass! After months of brown crispy lawn, it changed to a lush green. I cut back the ivy growing over the mower, and voila- a green space in the middle of the garden: it looks great... My favourite autumn job is planting forced hyacinths to bloom at Christmas. I do this in a nice warm kitchen before I put them in the dark.

My wonderful neighbours helped me tidy up the garden, I am so pleased with it!
Only the greenhouse to empty and pots to tidy now. I have ordered bulbs galore so a busy day or two when they arrive.
I don’t think my garden has ever looked so neat before!

I have cleared all the tomatoes off my tomato plants. I have put all the green ones in a polybag with one red one, turned the top over and put them on a warm window sill. They are ripening rapidly and half of them have been transferred to the ready to east bowl. I exxpect all to be ripe by the end of the week.

Joseanne

Can anyone help with what I should do with these tomatoes? They keep getting bigger and bigger but are taking ages to ripen. I don't even know what they were.

You have a ripe one on one truss, it should help the ones near ripen. Putting them in a brown paper bag with a banana apparently works.

Yes and thank you re Lucifer, dollygloss much appreciated! Looking forward to spreading them round as they make such a cheerful show._[

Thank you. We are in the south west and it is still warmish. I'll try picking them this week to speed up the ripening as they are so heavy the plant is bending under the weight.

It is still quite warm here, my house plants are still outside

you can pick them and put them on a sunny windowsill and they should turn red (ish)

otherwise you can make a chutney with green tomatoes

Can anyone help with what I should do with these tomatoes? They keep getting bigger and bigger but are taking ages to ripen. I don't even know what they were.

As a novice Gardner I am finding this all fascinating, don’t understand a word of it but nonetheless fascinating ?

I'd like to know which one is the way to go, as I was thinking the same thing today with my Lucifer about 2ft diameter plant.

Monty divide his Crocosmia, last night on GW. He dug a hole around the whole plant, lifted it and then divided.
I usually just stick a fork in a prise a bit out!

I don't think there would be a problem dividing Crocosma Wyllow3. I have Lucifer too and will be dividing bulbs this autumn as they have spread themselves too close to a young Acer. I have cut the leaves down to about six inches above the bulbs just to help position them correctly. Aren't they just beautiful when in bloom!

Now, you are all very good in doing many Autumn jobs around the garden.All I have done is to bring inside any tomatoes yet to ripen.I do actually like a sort of Autumn melancholy that settles on a garden and a somewhat neglected look to it.I do not know what that says about me!

Please,-when- can I divide Crocosmia Lucifer and plant chunk(s) separated. Atm root/bulb area is about 2 ft square, how many chunks can I move on to other patches?

Do I trim them down in order to do it?

I was going to take the tomato plants out of the greenhouse, but I just can’t as they’ve got a second wind.

Casdon I can't imagine my squirrels would let something as fragile as pea netting stand in the way of them getting at delicious bulbs. They have dug very deep holes in my Begonias tunnelling underneath them to get at the bluebell bulbs.
I am also going to put a layer of used coffee grounds about one inch deep over my pots in the hope they won't be able to smell the bulbs. (Waitrose let you have used coffee grounds.)
If I can't get enough I shall try a tube of garlic puree in a watering can of water.

I got the bags of composted bark in this morning, I shall wait until the hoeing has worked and will then put that bark
around the roses

Also loads of heavy lifting again today, this gardening malarky is very good for muscle-building. The last two big raised beds are filled and some potted double geraniums (cranesbill) are now in their permanent places

My pots are still looking good. My bulb order has not arrived but I guess that it will be curtains for them when it does. It actually quite warm here today, about 20C.

Esspee

No chance of me planting tulips or any other bulbs as the squirrels are in full dig up anything tasty mode. They have exterminated all my montbretia/crocosmia with the exception of the variety lucifer which they haven’t gone near. Planting new delicious bulbs would have them in seventh heaven.

I intend to buy some chicken wire to place on top of the bulbs due to be planted now and the tulips which I’ll plant at the end of the year.

We have relocated two squirrels to a woodland but the remaining squirrels in the neighbourhood seem to be smarter and have managed to remove the bait and set off the trap while remaining outside for the last 3 days.

This week I have done some really heavy work around the pond. I am rather achey and so glad we are off to Loch Lomond tomorrow.

I’ve saved my used pea netting Esspee, I think I’m going to group all my tulip pots together and spread that over them all, fingers crossed it will work.