Colin Evans

At last the heating is on, even for a couple of hours a day it just takes the chill off the house and is a reminder that autumn is well and truly with us.

Autumnal leaves

And as I look out of the kitchen window the lovely crimson leaves of the Maple in my back garden is already leaving a red and bronze carpet on the lawn.

Once the lawn is dry, I will get out there and clear away the fallen leaves onto the compost heap before they encourage the growth of moss.

In fact I shall keep the lawn free of any debris this autumn and winter to prevent the build up of fungal disease and great patches of moss.

Mowing the lawn

On dry days try and cut the lawn to prevent the grass from getting out of control. This also has the effect of making the garden look much more attractive on dull wet days.

Although the garden still supports colour we are fast getting to the stage when summer bedding needs to be removed and new winter plants planted.

It's best to leave the borders to stand for a couple of weeks before introducing new plants, as this gives the ground a chance to rest before it uses all its energy to support new plants.

This is also an opportunity to feed the soil with a slow release granular fertilizer and dig in plenty of organic matter to bulk it.

Plant of the week

Whilst plants grown outside are always well worth consideration I find plants indoors can be of great benefit on dreary days.

Gardenia Jasminoides

One of my favourite is GARDENIA JASMINOIDES. So many of us choose to ignore this exotic plant because it's generally felt that is hard to grow.

Well, it was one of the favourite indoor plants in Victorian times.

They had more success because central heating in those days was inefficient and rooms stayed relatively cool.

The main problem now is too much heat and tap water.

Most grow well in cool conservatories or heated green houses. However, the same conditions can be created indoors with a little thought.

The beautiful double yellow creamy flowers with the heady perfume of hot tropical nights and the dark green foliage will grace most rooms in the house.

Don't use tap water as this is too chalky, instead collect rainwater and water and spray foliage with it. Kept cool and given plenty of natural light this terrific indoor plant will look a picture.

The greenhouse can look very bare and sad at this time, so, buy some colourful pot grown Chrysanthemums from the garden centre and place them on benches and on the floor of the green house.

Chrysanthemums

Chrysanthemums will tolerate cold temperatures and even the odd frost. Keep them just moist and add a little liquid feed from time to time and keep removing dead flowers back to a healthy bud and the plants will flourish all through the winter months.

When they are past their best, reduce the plants in height and plant outside in a sheltered spot.

If Chrysanthemums are not your thing then place pots of Rose plants there instead and they will flourish.

Before laying turf, plant some spring flowering bulbs underneath.

Bulbs

As the foliage of spring flowering bulbs needs to be left uncut at least six weeks after the flowers have died off, ensure that they are planted in groups where they can be left growing in the lawn untouched until early spring.

If the foliage is cut down too soon they are liable to appear next year without flowers. When choosing bulbs go for the miniature types and plant them under trees and on the edges of the lawn.

Plants in containers may well need re potting into bigger pots.

Plant pots

I always favour Terra Cotta planters as they not only look natural but they allow the roots to breath and make uniform growth.

Give the plant a good watering the night before and plant into new multi-purpose compost. Firm in and water.

The plants will benefit and will make better growth next season.

Happy gardening!