OCTOBER IN THE GARDEN.

TOP TIPS FOR CREATIVE GARDENERS.

October and the summer is over, winter is on the way. But don't by disheartened, Autumn is here! All those wonderful golden hues of dying foliage and crispy seed-heads can look wonderful in the morning light.

You will have noticed that the nights are beginning to draw in and are definitely cooler. Remember to change the clocks at the end of the month and start looking out for next year’s seed catalogues and, of course, the 2009 edition of Creative Garden Ideas catalogue! This will be available early in the New Year so contact us now if you want to be sure of receiving a copy.

Some Northern locations may see early frosts, so keep an eye on the weather forecasts and protect tender plants with fleece or, better still, move them into a greenhouse if you have one, if not, now is a good time to start looking for one, we often have some bargain buys under our Garden Buildings Section.

Below are some of the more important jobs to do in your garden this month and some quick links to everything you’ll need to make them easier!

Remember, we deliver to your door so no added transport and fuel bills to worry about and no carrying heavy and cumbersome items from the garden centre!

Look at your lawn………

New lawns can be laid or sown on well-prepared sites now. Scarify established lawns with a rake, then aerate with a fork if you haven’t done it already. There’s still time to use an Autumn lawn food – Pro-Grow Peat Free Lawn Conditioner is ideal and can be found in our lawn care section of the site along with other ranges from the country’s leading producers. Reduce mowing frequency and set the blades high. By the end of the month it will be time to stop cutting and the mower should then be serviced in preparation for next year - if possible and the weather continues to stay warm, trim your lawn at least once a week to keep it neat and dense.

Make sure your Soil is in good condition………..

October is the perfect time to mulch your borders with compost or soil conditioners and to replace or enrich compost and soil in containers. If you are planning to grow winter vegetables or just ensure that your soil is ready for Spring planting, its time to enrich and put back important nutrients into your soil – see our range of Garden Care Products for Organic and Peat Free Conditioners, Mulches and Composts. These not only do your garden good but also help the environment at the same time. And, always remember, that by using our free delivery service there’s no more carrying heavy bags of mulches and composts to and from your car!

Tidy Up!

If you haven’t started already October is the time to start tidying the garden up and preparing for winter, bring in tender perennials, trim and store in a frost-free place and take cuttings from shrubs to start off in the greenhouse. Keep cleaning out containers and pots ready for next year and get Sheds and Greenhouses ready for winter use. Towards the end of the month leaves will be falling and the rake will need to be used almost every weekend and it’s also time to trim hedges and bushes, cutting back over growth and making life easier for us when the leaves do start falling.

October is also the perfect time to clean patio paving slabs and decking, taking off any moss that has accumulated and helping to protect them from becoming slippery over the wetter times ahead.

On the Veggie patch………..

It’s a time of change in the vegetable garden, with many crops now over and the winter vegetables coming into their own – leeks and parsnips, celery and brussel sprouts will all taste better if there some hard frosts – although perhaps not too early in the month! It’s also a time to look forward to the next season, with some crops being planted or sown now under protection to crop early in Spring. Hopefully it’s also time to open the freezer and enjoy the fruits of your labours over the past six months – enjoy!

Clean the Greenhouse and enjoy the very last of the tomatoes and peppers. Also harvest carrots and potatoes, making sure the crops are clean and dry before you put them into storage.

In general ……..

October is the time to put a halt to any pruning and to bring houseplants back into the warmth – check carefully for any hitchhiking pests that may be hiding on them! Start cleaning up the flower-beds and remember to put down mulches and soil conditioners for weed suppression and to put some goodness back into the soil.

Before the end of October, plant bulbs for next year except for tulips, which if planted in November have less risk of developing virus. The damp atmosphere provides ideal conditions to carry out all lawn work, either creating new lawns or repairing, aerating and scarifying existing ones.

Garden events become a little thin on the ground in October but there are plenty of other people’s gardens to se and when the leaves begin to turn some amazing colours on display in woodland and parks across the country – so time to stretch your legs and take the family on an invigorating Autumn walk!

Have a good gardening month!

Keep Warm this winter with Our smokeless fuels

Lastly, remember to turn your clocks back at the end of the month and think about keeping warm during the winter! CPL are the UK’s largest coal merchants delivering a range of new environmentally friendlier coals and solid fuels to homes across the country. For details and further information on our range of solid fuels including, soft and hardwood logs, visit our new website – www.coals2u.co.uk