Prepare your winter flower gardens

Wed, 18 Oct 2006

The first step to getting your garden for winter is to cut down herbaceous perennial that have faded and put them on your compost heap. Also don’t forget to remove any supports or stakes as they tend to die down during winter.

If you have any flowers that have not been flowering properly or if you have any herbaceous plants that too close together you need to lift them out and divide them. This will ensure that next summer will see them looking revived and by dividing them you can spread them out more to look plentiful.

Flowers such as wallflowers, forget-me-not and spring bedding plants should be planted in flowerbeds that have been prepared. These must be kept well watered in a dry spell.

If you have any summer bedding plants trying to survive in the mild autumn season, it is better to clear them and plant other plants for a fresher display. These too can be added to your compost heap.

Herbaceous perennials should be planted at this time of the year as the soil is moist and warm after the summer months.

However, in places where it remains reasonably mild, hard annuals can be sowed for an over-winter display the following year.

Patio containers should be placed on bricks or pot feet to ensure they are not left in sitting water.

Alpine troughs should be moved to a covered porch or lean-to so they are protected from the rain, if you have a greenhouse then place these in there.

If you had Dahlia and Canna flowers in your garden, wait for the first of the winter frosts before lifting the tubers or rhizomes.

Any tender plants should be taken into a heated greenhouse or a conservatory during the winter months. Tender bulbs need to be lifted and stored during winter.

You can plant you spring flowering bulbs but tulips should be planted in November.
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