Everything you need to grow...
Hot off the trowel
Gardens to Gander ​​
​Here are some local gardens to visit:​
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​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​West Dean Gardens open Mon-Fri 09.30am - 5.00pm.
Sat-Sun 09.00am - 5.00pm
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The National Garden Scheme (NGS)
Look on their website and find a garden near you to visit.
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Woolbeding Gardens.
The gardens open again on Thursdays and Fridays only as from 24th April. Pre booking is required for everyone.
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Insector Clueso!
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The Asian Hornet has arrived in the UK, and hundreds of nests have been destroyed. However, it looks as though they have been the tip of the iceberg. They are avaricious insects that target most of our pollinators.
Our honey bees are at serious risk of their hives being invaded and the colonies being wiped out. These predators are smaller than the European Hornet, which is not a threat. The Asian Hornet can be identified by its yellow leg ends and a wide orange band towards the rear of its abdomen.
If you see one, please report it using the iPhone and Android ‘Asian Hornet Watch’ app. Alternatively, email: alertnonnative@ceh.ac.uk
please include a photo if you can do so safely.
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Weeders Digest
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The Hidden Kingdom of Fungi by Keith Seifert.
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One of our Garden Club members recently returned from a mushroom cultivation course in the misty mountains of Wales, positively glowing with fungal enthusiasm. Inspired by their stories, we picked up The Hidden Kingdom of Fungi.
This book uncovers the astonishing roles fungi play in our forests, homes, and even our bodies. From decomposing leaves to forming symbiotic relationships with plants—and us—fungi are quiet powerhouses of the natural world. Seifert’s writing is accessible, witty, and packed with fascinating science. It’s a must-read for anyone curious about the magic beneath our feet!
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Available to purchase: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hidden-Kingdom-Fungi-Exploring-Microscopic-ebook/dp/B09NF771Y3​
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Top gardening jobs for October ​
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The Autumn chill sets in.
Although we had some warmer days in September, the autumn is now definitely here for real, and it feels colder. It’s a beautiful time of the year, with trees changing colour. Sometimes it may seem pointless raking when the wind blows even more leaves on to the lawn, but just think of all the lovely leafmould you can make! It’s also time to start preparing for early frosts.​
1. <Move tender plants, including aquatic ones, into greenhouses or conservatories.
2. Cut back perennials that have died down.
3. Divide herbaceous perennials
4. Divide established rhubarb crowns to create new plants
5. Plant out spring cabbages
6. Harvest apples, pears, grapes and nuts​
7. Prune climbing roses
8. Finish collecting seeds from the garden to grow next year
9. Last chance to mow lawns and trim hedges in mild areas
10. Renovate old lawns or create new grass areas by laying turf
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Musings
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‘October! I never tire of turning it over in my mind, It has warmth,
depth and colour. It glows like old amber.’
Patience Strong
‘October, baptise me with leaves! Swaddle me in corduroy and
nurse me with split pea soup.’
Rainbow Rowell
‘I hope I can be the autumn leaf,
Who looked at the sky and lived.
And when it was time to leave
Gracefully it knew life was a gift.’
Dodinsky
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‘Summer said in shades of blue,
“Let me be young a few days more”
“Walk forward” autumn whispered
“There’s a colourful horizon to explore.”
Angie Weiland Crosby
‘Summer dashed off, her sundress flowing with greens;
While Autumn slipped into a gown with jewelled seams.’
Anon
‘When Autumn sets the woods aglow,
She paints with sunlight in her soul.'
Angie Weiland Crosby
‘Autumn leaves don’t fall, they fly.
They take their time and wander on this their only
chance to soar.’
Delia Owen’s ‘Where the Crawdads Sing’
‘And all the lives we ever lived and all the lives to be
Are full of trees and changing leaves.’
Virginia Woolf ‘To the Lighthouse’
‘It’s the first day of Autumn!
A time of chocolatey mornings
And toasty marshmallow evenings’
And best of all, leaping into leaves.’
Winnie the Pooh ‘Pooh’s Great Adventure’
And finally….
‘Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn.’
Elizabeth Lawrence.
