Garden News

As we approach the winter it can often be a time for reflection in the garden, thinking about those parts of the garden that still need more thought and more work. It doesn’t have to be the end of the gardening year, by careful planning you can still provide a crescendo of colours for you to enjoy until the frosts knock it all back in November. It’s also time to start thinking about spring, as now is the time to start planting your spring bulbs. By combining a simple mix of narcissis, tulips and alliums, you will be able to provide a colourful combination of flower in the garden from March until June. A little tip would be to buy more than you think you need, as often these displays look better en masse rather than a few flowers dotted here and there through your borders. Also, only plant the smaller narcissi in your borders as the big trumpet daffs can often be a little overpowering and thuggish amongst your other border plants.

Plant of The Month –  Ceratostigma willmontianum

Few flowers have the ability to linger late into the year but as autumn draws to a close, the neat, gentian-blue heads of Ceratostigma willmottianum keep on going providing colour and interest in the garden, when most have given up. They sometimes persist for so long that in mild winters it is possible to find the odd flower on Christmas Day. The blue petals look even brighter set against the purple-tinted, quilled seed heads. The diamond-shaped, scarlet leaves, which colour up as the days shorten, radiate warmth on dark winter afternoons. As the year ends, the wiry stems and spent flower heads form a delicate silhouette; this is a plant that will please from June right through to the following spring.

Often called Chinese plumbago, this hardy, 1m (3ft) high shrub is one of eight species found in the Himalayas, south-east Asia and east Africa. It was first collected in 1908 by Edward "Chinese" Wilson and due to its popularity and great versatility in the garden, it received an Award of Merit in 1917.

Ceratostigmas are found naturally on the rocky slopes of hot, dry valleys, often in rain shadows, and therefore demand good drainage and an open, sunny position in the garden. In cold areas where winters are long, ceratostigma is best grown in a sheltered position against a sunny, south-facing wall.

In addition to willomntianum, another widely available form is Ceratostigma plumbaginoides, which is smaller and herbaceous. While it’s a great plant in its own right, I have always preferred the taller C. willmottianum as it has more of a presence, bears larger clusters of buds, has finer foliage and flowers for longer. Maintenance is also minimal, requiring only a cut back hard in late spring. All foliage and stems are left over the winter until you see where the new shoots break. If shoots appear along the stems give the plant a light trim. If shoots only appear at the base, cut hard back.

Ceratostigma is a versatile plant for the border, as it combines well with so many other plants. It can be great in the shrub border but will hold its own in a perennial scheme too. I like it combined with another of my favourites – penisetum orientale. The fluffy pink seed heads of the grass make the perfect partner for those dainty blue flowers. It can also look great next to the hotter colours of late summer, making it an ideal accompaniment for heleniums, dahlias and other grasses too. You just can’t go wrong with this little plant, so find some space and enjoy the treat the flowers will provide for years to come.

Jobs to do this month include:

Ornamental Garden:
•    Mulch borders with compost if not done in the spring.
•    Continue deadheading if weather is mild.
•    Remove fallen leaves from Roses to prevent blackspot.
•    Continue to tidy borders of weeds and leaves.
•    Transplant any plants that need to be moved.
•    Plant spring bulbs such as Daffodils etc. But NOT tulips – wait until November to avoid tulip blight.
•    Lift and divide perennials.
•    Plant up containers etc for winter bedding displays.
•    Apply autumn lawn feed etc.
•    Now is a good time to plant trees and shrubs – the soil is moist and warm.
•    Sow sweet peas under glass.
•    Can lift summer flowering bulbs / tubers and overwinter in greenhouse or can heavily mulch plants and leave in the ground. Eg gladioli, dahlia, canna.
•    Cut back herbaceous perennials as they die back.
•    Prune climbing roses to avoid wind rock.
•    Refill bird feeders regularly.
•    Install insect hotels / log piles.

Vegetable Garden:
•    Begin planting garlic
•    Apply fleece to late season crops when frost is forecast.
•    Lift and divide rhubarb.
•    Clear away old foliage of strawberries to prevent pest and diseases.
•    Pot up herbs and take into frost free greenhouse or windowsill to continue cropping through the winter.
•    Complete planting onion setts and plant out spring cabbage.
•    Harvest squash and pumpkin if not already done so.