{"id":3953,"date":"2018-11-08T14:40:36","date_gmt":"2018-11-08T14:40:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.marshwoodvale.com\/?p=3953"},"modified":"2018-11-08T14:40:36","modified_gmt":"2018-11-08T14:40:36","slug":"november-in-the-garden-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.marshwoodlife.com\/test\/november-in-the-garden-4\/","title":{"rendered":"November in the Garden"},"content":{"rendered":"

Even if, up to now, it\u2019s been possible to pretend that winter is \u2018a long way off\u2019, now that the clocks have gone back it really does feel that the garden has entered a new phase. Time is running out for planting spring flowering bulbs, the majority should already be safely interred, with the exception of the, ever popular, tulip. Tulips are best planted late, even into December, in an attempt to reduce the occurrence of the dreaded \u2018tulip fire\u2019 disease.
\nAnyone with half an eye on gardening trends, especially if you have an \u2018Instagram\u2019 account, can\u2019t help but notice that home-grown cut flowers are \u2018all the rage\u2019. Tulips, like dahlias, are very photogenic and, come the spring, will feature strongly on every social media savvy gardener\u2019s profile. If you want a guaranteed display then newly bought tulip bulbs, planted in fresh compost in an attractive container (preferably an antique copper washtub\u2014a la<\/em> Sissinghurst), topped off with spring flowering wallflowers, or vibrant violas, will provide plenty of photo opportunities come next April \/ May.
\nEver since I used them \u2018en masse<\/em>\u2019, when I worked for a garden landscape company, I\u2019ve had a soft spot for lily-flowered tulips because they have an elegance of form which, whatever the situation they are used in, lends them an air of sophistication. Dark tulips, such as the ever popular \u2018Queen of Night\u2019, can be dramatically teamed with a white variety, my default is still \u2018White Triumphator\u2019, for a classic contrasting display. For many years now the bronze \/ gold, sumptuous, saturated, colours of \u2018Abu Hassan\u2019 have been sought after to the point where I am yet to grow it as it\u2019s always sold out by the time I get around to placing my bulb order!
\nNow is the best time to get on with any gardening projects which require wholesale digging up and moving of established plants. With the exception of evergreen specimens, which are best moved in the spring as they begin into active growth, most herbaceous perennials and deciduous shrubs can be dug up now and moved around. This is because, this season, they are able to withstand the shock of being dug up, their roots disturbed and damaged, just in time to recover during their winter dormancy.
\nThe soil is still warm enough that they can begin to repair and regrow, having been dug up and moved, and the lack of leaves, or top-growth, means that there is no demand to replace transpired water (moisture evaporated from the leaves and stems) so the displaced plant does not become desiccated. Also, from a practical point of view, the increased rainfall in the autumn and winter months ensures that your newly planted specimens will not suffer from drought.
\nIt is these same factors which provide the \u2018window of opportunity\u2019, opening now, for the procurement, and planting, of bare-root trees, hedging and fruit bushes\u2014so get your orders in now and I\u2019ll come back to these at a later date.
\nOf course, if you are lifting herbaceous perennials, the good old \u2018border\u2019 plants, then now is the time to \u2018go forth and multiply\u2019 by chopping up any large clumps and replanting the divisions into freshly dug, and manured, soil. If you have more divisions than you have room for, bearing in mind that the whole point of lifting them is to reduce congestion in the border, then these can be potted up, using fresh potting compost, for use elsewhere or to be traded \/ donated to other gardeners; remembering the old adage that \u201cthe best way to keep a plant is to give it away\u201d.
\nThe arrival of proper overnight frosts is the signal that most \u2018fiddling\u2019 maintenance jobs can cease. Frosty nights will accelerate leaf fall, which has started already, but, fingers crossed, there will be a gradual slide into complete denudement because that\u2019s the best way of enjoying all the autumnal hues which this year\u2019s sunny summer should have precipitated.
\nFallen leaves should not be allowed to lay on the lawn for too long as they will shade out the grass beneath and lead to bald spots. If dry enough an easy way to remove them, assuming you have a \u2018collecting\u2019 lawnmower, is to continue cutting the lawn, on a high blade setting, even though the lawn is barely growing. Cease mowing if it becomes clear that it is too soggy underfoot and that using machinery will do more harm than good.
\nOn the subject of \u2018more harm than good\u2019; if you were intending to use a lawn \u2018feed and weed\u2019 preparation on your lawn, but have yet to complete the task, then it is almost too late. In warm, southern, areas of the country, such as the Marshwood Vale, it might still be possible to apply a proprietary \u2018feed and weed\u2019 (following the guidelines on the packaging) but only if the weather is mild and not too wet.
\nThe \u2018feed\u2019 (nitrogenous) aspect of the treatment will promote grass growth but only if the soil temperatures are still warm enough that the grass is actively growing. If average temperatures fall below something like 7\u00b0C, the grass will stop growing and any nitrogenous \u2018feed\u2019 is likely to get washed straight through the turf and could, possibly, enter nearby watercourses. If in doubt; wait until the spring to apply any such treatments.
\nWith all the digging up, planting, planning and ordering, there is plenty to keep you busy, if you want to be, during these shortening days – Happy Gardening!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Even if, up to now, it\u2019s been possible to pretend that winter is \u2018a long way off\u2019, now that the clocks have gone back it really does feel that the garden has entered a new phase. Time is running out for planting spring flowering bulbs, the majority should already be safely interred, with the exception […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[19],"class_list":["post-3953","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-gardening","tag-russell-jordan"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.marshwoodlife.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3953","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.marshwoodlife.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.marshwoodlife.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.marshwoodlife.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.marshwoodlife.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3953"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.marshwoodlife.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3953\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.marshwoodlife.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3953"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.marshwoodlife.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3953"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.marshwoodlife.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3953"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}