The Flower Garden in Mid Autumn

By the time mid-autumn comes, in temperate climates, most of the plant growth for the spring and summer is finished and it is time to clear the garden up and make it ready for the winter. Summer bedding displays will

Mid Autumn Jobs in the Flower Garden

Jobs to do Preparing the soil for sowing seed outdoors It will still be possible to sow seed in mid-autumn, though it should be done within the first week. Seed-beds will therefore need to be prepared; remember that

Flower Garden Tasks in Mid Autumn

Moving indoors If the weather has been mild, tender plants in containers are probably in a cold frame but they should definitely be taken under greenhouse cover sometime during the next few weeks. Clearing up and cut

The Flower Garden in Late Autumn

As far as the ornamental garden is concerned, late autumn is one of the quietest times of the year. Most herbaceous plants become completely dormant during the next few weeks, in readiness for the freezing temperature

Late Autumn Jobs in the Flower Garden

Jobs to do Digging Beds and borders in which the small, temporary plants are to be grown do not require tremendous excavations; provided the humus and nutrients are renewed in them every year, they need only be du

The Flower Garden in Early Winter

It is a debatable point whether early winter or mid-winter is the quietest season in the flower garden: probably mid-winter, since that is when snow or hard frost tends to make it impossible to do any cultivation. In

Early Winter Jobs in the Flower Garden

Jobs to do Digging The general digging that was described in late autumn can be continued or started while the weather permits, in early winter; this includes the preparation of beds for herbaceous perennials and bor

The Flower Garden in Mid Winter

The best that can be said about mid-winter, as far as the weather is concerned, is that the days are beginning to lengthen, so that there is at least more light, even if the temperature is low. Light is more important

Mid Winter Jobs in the Flower Garden

Jobs to do Digging Finish this as soon as possible as there is only just enough time left for the cultivated ground to be weathered sufficiently before the spring planting starts. Take advantage of hard frozen ground

The Flower Garden in Late Winter

Although the ground outdoors may be frozen hard or covered in snow at this time of the year, you can start the gardening season in the greenhouse, especially if you have a cool greenhouse, ie. one which has a little a

Late Winter Jobs in the Flower Garden

Jobs to do Preparing compost for sowing seed under glass If you have not very much time, you can buy these composts ready made up, but the advantages of making them up yourself are that you do know exactly what ingre

Flower Garden Pests and Diseases

Pests and fungus diseases of particular plants Antirrhinum Rust: fungus disease. Symptoms are raised, bright rust-brown spots on under-surface of leaves and on stems; leaves wither. Some varieties are resistant; cons

Shrub and Tree Garden in Early spring

For some weeks now, the days will have been getting noticeably lighter for longer, the dawn chorus will be under way and the temperature will have a slow but steady tendency upwards — even if it does seem to be a case

When to Prune Late Summer-Flowering Shrubs: Early Spring

The late-summer-flowering shrubs to prune towards the end of early spring include the following: Abelia deciduous Prune only to tidy, cut out weak and straggling growth and one or two of the oldest shoots; regular a

Shrub and Tree Garden Jobs for Early Spring

Jobs to do Preparing the soil for planting It is still not too late to plant the various kinds of shrubs and trees which would have been better put in during late autumn or early winter. If you are expecting an orde

Shrub and Tree Garden in Mid Spring

Spring might have been a little hesitant in appearing during the last few weeks, but there will be no doubt about its presence by now. Cherries, pears and plums will be in flower, wall-grown peaches and nectarines wil

Shrub and Tree Garden Guide for Mid Spring

Jobs to do Preparing the soil for planting Mid-spring is a better time to plant some of the shrubs mentioned in early spring, and there are others which should not be planted until now, so soil will need to be prepa

How to Grow Ginger Indoors

For an unusual indoor plant, try growing ginger from a piece of root. It makes an attractive plant and, if grown well, the root can swell to provide ginger for cooking and teas. Ginger is not hardy, and roots planted

How to Look After Hemerocallis or the Daylily

Daylilies are so called because each individual flower does last only a day. Plants can be grown in any part of the garden, but they perform best in reasonably moist soil, which means that they can make luxuriant addi

Planting Combinations for the Water Garden

It is immediately obvious to even the most casual observer let alone the serious and experienced gardener, that some plants do not sit comfortably with others. Perhaps they both have small leaves of a similar green co