By
Craig Constance-smith

PUBLISHED:

16:31 EST, 11 October 2013

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UPDATED:

16:31 EST, 11 October 2013

We British are supposed to be a nation of gardeners, but a recent survey that asked people how they felt about their garden produced some dismaying statistics.

Some 40 per cent of  respondents said they were embarrassed by their garden, while 12 per cent said they never set foot in it.

None of this surprises me because when I tell people I write about gardens, they often look embarrassed and mutter that theirs is ‘a bit of a disaster’.

If you fall into this category, take heart, because autumn is just the time to tackle a neglected one.

Tackle these eight easy tasks now and your garden will look glorious next spring

Put in a bit of work now, and by next spring your garden will give you a glow of pride instead of making you wince with shame. Here are some simple steps to get your garden back on track.

● Be ruthless about cutting back overlarge plants or shrubs. It won’t damage them and it will bring light and space into your garden.

● Remove any plants that you don’t like. Give them away, and plant something you really like instead.
● Declutter the garden. Store ugly things out of sight or throw away.

● Make sure you have easy access to a tap and invest in a good hose. If you have to lug watering cans around, chances are your garden won’t get watered enough.

● Sheds are invaluable but often unsightly. Transform yours with a coat of paint, or put wires along the sides and grow climbers such as sweet peas or sunflowers up it.
● Improve your patio with some attractive containers and colourful plants. Container gardening is a quick way to give your garden a lift.

● Love your lawn. An immaculate lawn looks beautiful but it’s a huge amount of work. Don’t worry about having weeds such as dandelions – call it a wildflower lawn. And if you don’t have time to mow often, just keep the edges neat to give the illusion of a well-kept lawn.

● Think long-term. Annuals are often the most eye-catching plants in the garden centre but perennials and shrubs are the best value and reduce the work you have to do. n

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CHICO — Chico Horticultural Society will meet Wednesday, Oct. 16 at the Chico library, East First and Sherman avenues.

The meeting will begin at 9:30 a.m. with refreshments, the program will start at 10:00 and the business meeting will start at 11:00. The public is welcome to attend.

The presentation will be on “Sustainable Gardening for California Landscapes.”

Presenter will be Pam Geisel, former director of the Statewide Master Gardener Program and county director of Glenn County. She is a professor emeritus in environmental horticulture, and obtained her master’s in Plant Science from CSU Fresno. Geisel has also written numerous publications on a variety of horticultural topics.

She will discuss recommendations for the Top 10 sustainable garden practices that gardeners can implement without having to make drastic changes in their gardening lifestyle. These practices and tips will help your garden become more sustainable and can, over the long run, save you money.

If you have questions, call Margaret at 520-0067.

Posted: Friday, October 11, 2013 11:01 am

Gardening Tips: Preparing for first frost

By Matthew Stevens

The Daily Herald, Roanoke Rapids, NC

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0 comments

After a long summer, it seems fall is finally here. While we haven’t had a frost yet, the first one doesn’t seem far, as the Roanoke Valley has often had a first fall frost around Oct. 15. The weather for the next week doesn’t seem to indicate an immediate risk of an overnight frost, but we all know the weather can change quickly.

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Friday, October 11, 2013 11:01 am.

Pruning, planting and blanching – here are this week’s top tips for a bloomin’ marvellous garden.
 

• Plant new climbers, shrubs and trees while the soil is still warm.

• Clear out summer containers, taking cuttings or saving tender plants if you have space to overwinter them.

• Check the greenhouse heating and insulate to save heat.

• Stop feeding and reduce watering for plants in the greenhouse.

• Make sure bowls of bulbs being forced for indoor flowering do not dry out.

• Finish pruning out all shoots from rambler and climbing roses that carried flowers as soon as they have faded.

• Continue blanching leeks, covering plants with tubes of cardboard or drainpipe.

• Pick crops at their best including marrows, runner beans, spinach, sweetcorn, beetroot and salads.

• Plant blocks of Dutch iris in sunny positions, to flower in early summer.

• Propagate new gooseberry bushes by taking hardwood cuttings from healthy plants before their leaves drop.

• Where grass growth is thin, over-seed now with a suitable grass seed mixture.

• Cut down marginal plants around pools that are dying back.

• Plant out hardy primulas raised from seed or divisions.

 

Best of the Bunch – Stipa gigantea

Flowers may be fading, but many ornamental grasses are still going strong, providing structure, movement and colour to borders and pots.

Among the best in autumn is Stipa gigantea, or golden oats, originally from Spain and Portugal, which forms neat hummocks of narrow mid-green leaves to 70cm (28in) long, carrying clouds of green flowers on erect stems to 1.5m (5ft) in early summer.

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In autumn the flowers turn a deep golden brown as they age and persist well into winter. Wait until early spring to cut them down, along with any dead leaves.

Grow S. gigantea as a specimen or as a gauzy screen at the back of a border. It does best in full sun in fertile, well-drained soil.

 

 

 

 

 

Our yard is absolutely covered with the tips of tree branches. The tree (don’t know what kind) isn’t dropping fall leaves yet, so what’s going on? Squirrels?

Two native insects will snip off the tips of tree branches in August and September. The twig girdler makes a cut like a beaver does. You’ll see a pointed end at the cut. The twig pruner makes a concave cut. Both insects overwinter as larvae inside the cut twigs littering your lawn and will emerge as beetles next year. To prevent a repeat next year, gather up the twigs and bag up and dispose of them. These insects are a minor pest, though they distort a young tree’s shape. There is no insecticide labeled to control them but, like many other pest insects, they are attracted to lights, so be sure to turn off unnecessary night lighting.

Isn’t purple loosestrife banned in Maryland? It’s horribly invasive, especially in wetlands.

Purple loosestrife has taken over 50,000 acres in Minnesota alone and is now in all states except Florida. It has been designated as invasive in Maryland, but is not officially on the state’s noxious weed list, which details banned plants and is geared to agricultural weeds. In Maryland, the commercial horticulture industry self-regulates invasive plants by not selling most of them. Residents need to educate themselves about which plants are invasive, so they do not inadvertently order, for example, purple loosestrife, from out of state or accept a plant from a misguided friend, thinking it is an innocent purple-flowered perennial. Marylanders can report a patch of the plant at: http://www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/Plants_Wildlife/PurpleLoosestrife

University of Maryland Extension’s Home and Garden Information Center offers free gardening and pest information. Call 800-342-2507 or send a question to the website at extension.umd.edu/hgic.

Plant of the Week

Arugula or Rocket Salad

Eruca sativa

Arugula has rocketed to popularity in recent years. An excellent late-season crop for home gardeners, the peppery flavor of arugula leaves add a zesty punch when used raw in salads or cooked — maybe that’s why ancient Egyptians and Romans considered arugala seed oil to be an aphrodisiac. Plant seeds every few weeks in either early spring or fall. Thin seedlings to 6 to 9 inches apart. Harvest the green, deeply cut, compound leaves when plants reach 8 to 10 inches, about six weeks after planting. To encourage more leaf production, continuously harvest young leaves. — Jane Talarico

Two hours of golden gardening tips at Teddington’s Normansfield Theatre

5:00am Wednesday 9th October 2013 in Outdoors

By Clare Buchanan

Expert knowledge: Cleve West

Celebrity speakers Cleve West and Tom Moggach will share their gardening knowledge and practical tips with an audience at Normansfield Theatre this month.

Hosted by the Environment Trust, gardening and wildlife organisations will be on hand to discuss questions and share ideas – including Ham House Garden, Froglife, River of Flowers and Twickenham beekeepers.

Guests can also enjoy a drinks reception on arrival, while the evening’s two hours of festivities begin at 7.30pm.

Gardening for Food and Wildlife; Normansfield Theatre at the Lang Down Centre, Teddington; October 14; 6.30pm; £10, £8 for members; office@environmenttrust.co.uk; call 020 8891 5455.

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The autumn rain is a sign for many green thumbs that it’s time to prepare their garden soil for the spring.

For other gardeners, however, the change in season means it’s time to make the switch to those winter vegetables that thrive in cold weather.

Bardia Khaledi designs gardens and helped build the Steveston Educational Garden. He says you can have a profusion of vegetables throughout the winter.

Khaledi says the great thing about fall gardening is you don’t have to keep watering your plants. If you can stand a little rain, you can enjoy garden-to-plate meals all year round. 

Here’s his winter gardening advice:  

• Make sure your garden plot has good drainage, particularly if your beds are in the ground and not raised.
• If you are putting your garden to bed, you can grow a cover crop to put nitrogen back in the soil, such as rye or clover or legumes (different kinds of peas). 
• You can also collect seeds for next year, including nasturtiums, soy beans, peas, and broad beans, as well as tomatoes. 

Here are five vegetables that do well when the weather gets chilly:

• Garlic (should be planted in October) 
• Brassicas — broccoli, turnips, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts
• Leafy greens — kale, Swiss chard
• Fava beans

Autumn edibles: Tips for fall gardening and second plantings

Posted: Tuesday, October 1, 2013 12:00 am

Autumn edibles: Tips for fall gardening and second plantings

People choose to garden for many reasons: Food is fresher and tastes better. It’s a healthy hobby that exercises the body. It saves money. Numerous reports show an increasing number of homeowners are growing their own fruits, vegetables and herbs.

As temperatures cool,-you may think gardening season is over. The good news is with a few strategic tips, you can keep your green thumb going and enjoy a plethora of autumn edibles for months to come. –

Step 1: Select second plantings

Second plantings are the plants you use for the latter part of the gardening season. Late summer is typically the best time to plant these varieties. Call your local extension offices or access information online to find regionalized planting schedules and recommended plant varieties.

The length of the fall season and when the first frost will likely hit are important considerations when selecting second plantings. Keep in mind that fast-maturing vegetables are ideal for fall gardening and they should be planted early enough to reach maturity before the first frost arrives.

Popular second plantings that yield a delicious late fall/early winter harvest include broccoli, lettuce, turnips, collards, carrots, peas, radish, spinach, leeks and beets. Some people even claim root vegetables and cole crops like kale and turnips taste better after the first frost.

Step 2: Prepare your garden space

If you plan to use your current garden space for second plantings, remove the early-season plants that are done producing. Add those plants to your current compost bin or create a new compost pile with easy-to-use, stylish options from Outdoor Essentials. Wood-slate bins blend well with the outdoor aesthetic and the design allows oxygen to circulate and facilitate the composting process.

Next, prepare your garden space. Elevated garden beds are growing in popularity because they look great anywhere in your yard or on your patio, and are easy to move if necessary. Raised garden beds from Outdoor Essentials elevate the plants so gardeners don’t have to bend over and risk injury. They are ideal for fall because gardeners can regulate the temperature of raised beds with ease. On hot days, move or add a shade netting to protect plants from the heat; when frost is a threat, cover the entire bed for protection.

While you’re getting your hands dirty, fall is the perfect time to plant spring flowering bulbs. A little outdoor work now and you’ll be rewarded with beautiful flowers when spring arrives next year.

Step 3: Enjoy the harvest

Tend your garden daily for the best results – it may just need a quick check for pests and proper soil moisture. Typical benefits of late-season gardening include fewer bothersome bugs and the soil has better water retention.

As plants grow, pick the fruits and vegetables and enjoy Mother Nature’s bounty. If your plants become crowded, pluck a few out to help remaining plants grow roots and increase the harvest yield. You may be surprised just how many cool months your plants provide you with fresh, delicious produce.

Fall is a great opportunity to keep gardening momentum alive. So get started and decide what second plantings are best for your space. In as little as 30 days you could be eating the freshest, most flavorful vegetables you’ve ever had, all while under the gorgeous autumn sun.

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Tuesday, October 1, 2013 12:00 am.