Friday 26th October 2012

 

  • Sow hardy annuals, sweet peas and lettuces to overwinter under glass.
  • Plant shrubs, herbaceous plants and alpines.
  • Lift gladioli and other summer-flowering corms as soon as the foliage has been blackened by frost.
  • Add compost or wellrotted manure to freshlydug new beds.
  • Overwinter chrysanthemums in a cold frame, cutting the stems down to around 15cm (6in).
  • Plant container-grown clematis 5-8cm (2-3in) deeper than the soil level in the container to help protect the lower stem buds from clematis wilt.
  • Cover fruiting strawberries with cloches, tunnels of plastic sheeting or horticultural fleece.
  • Reduce damping down and watering in the greenhouse.
  • Leave old growth, stalks and seed heads on plants in the herb garden to provide for birds and insects.