By Isle of Wight Observer
This time last year I wrote in my article how no two years are the same – and these last few weeks are certainly not like last year.
I wouldn’t say that the weather has been great, but we haven’t seen the intense rainfall so far that we had last autumn. A blessing for us gardeners, and farmers too!
However, all good things come to an end, and, no doubt sooner or later, the weather will take a turn for the worse, so don’t delay and get the jobs done while it’s dry.
If you haven’t planted your spring bulbs then get them in soon. Perennials can be cut back and tidied up now, along with any annuals that have finished blooming. Vegetable beds can be cleared and covered, with a layer of manure or spent compost over the winter. This will be broken down over the coming weeks ready for digging in during early spring. There are, of course, winter crops to harvest, such as parsnips, swede, winter cabbage and Brussels sprouts. The leaves are steadily falling from the trees and these make excellent compost, so gather them up and add them to your compost heap.
I’ve only just started to lift my dahlias, as my ground is heavy. If your ground is light and free-draining, you can leave them in. To store the tubers through the winter they must be kept dry and frost free. This isn’t as easy as it sounds. Avoid storing in garden sheds as these always get damp in the winter and won’t keep out a severe frost.
It’s not too late to give your roses a winter prune. This isn’t a hard prune, as this is done in March. This is just a light prune to bring the plants under control and to avoid any damage through the winter.
If you have any tender fuchsias and geraniums outside, then it would be wise to get them into the greenhouse and trim them up while they remain dormant for the winter.
See you next month for a round-up of the year.