Plants2Gardens Blog

The soil is desperately clinging on to the last bit of warmth meaning it’s the perfect time to plant your Autumn/Winter bedding and this will give them the ideal start. Other than replacing your summer flowering bedding it’s also time to reduce the watering of your patio pots. Most perennials and shrubs, particularly Mediterranean palms, cordylines and lavenders, do not like wet feet. A good idea now is to make sure all pots are stood on pot feet or pieces of wood or if you are using a saucer, turn it upside down so water can escape easily from the bottom of the pot.

Giving our lawn some Autumn/Winter fertiliser will offer nutrients to encourage growth and help protect from disease. This also prepares the soil for the tough months ahead and it is geared up for the better weather. Once fertiliser has been applied its best to keep off the lawn as much as possible to avoid compacting the soil too much, except if it snows, sorry lawn but you will have to take one for the team if this happens as playing in the snow will be priority

You will need enough compost to ensure that the first layer of bulbs are sitting roughly 20cm from the top of the pot (maybe a little extra depending on the size of you Autumn Bedding which is to be planted on the top). Add some more compost, plant your Tulip bulbs and after the next layer of compost, add your Iris bulbs. Spread the bulbs approximately 3-4cm apart from each other;

Plant the bulb approximately twice the depth of the bulb, pointy end upwards, in either containers or in your garden bed/border.  Bulbs are great for planting in groups rather than singly and they can be layered for a full season long performance.  Simply layer them in a container with the larger bulbs being the deepest, add some compost, then place the medium bulbs and so on.  The depth of the first layer of bulbs depends on how many layers you are aiming for.

When considering your zone, consider the prevailing weather conditions in your local area and soil types can also make a plant more or less hardy. Free drained soil and a sheltered position can also help plants survive outdoors even when the plant is not classified as hardy.

Rhododendrons, Camellias and Azaleas like acidic soil and yes, we can purchase a kit to check the PH level of our garden soil but alternatively, purchase a compact variety and grow it in a pot when all you need is Ericaceous compost 

Tips on keeping an eye on what needs weeding, what needs spacing or tying to a support, if there are any pests that need taming and more importantly what needs harvesting. 

Top gardening tips on extending the summer season of colour for as long as possible! Answers to some great questions such as; How often do I water my plants?, Should I feed my plants? Should I deadhead summer plants? and How do I look after my summer plants?