The Garden Minute ⏰: Monday 30 October 2023
☀️Good morning Gardeners. It is almost the end of the month and what a wet and stormy end we are having. Here is today's gardening round up :)
🏡Taking stock of the year’s winners and losers in the garden. It is time to take a look back at the season’s plantings, the successes and failures, and plan for the future. The Guardian.
🪴Plastic pots revolutionised gardening in the 1960s — but field-grown plants are the future. John Hoyland always opts for bare-root plants if he can — and here's why you should too. Country Life.
👑Plants From a Royal Estate Become a Gown. London designers working on sustainable fashion created a dress from the leaves of giant butterbur plants gathered at one of the king’s homes. New York Times.
😊The inextricable link between gardening and happiness. Garden designer Lottie Delamain explores the links between gardening and our mental wellbeing, and how the natural world can be a refuge. House & Garden.
🦋7 lessons from Great Dixter, a garden that supports wildlife and looks gorgeous. The gardening world is getting more polarised between the re-wilders and those who want their outdoor space to look like traditional gardens. But at Great Dixter, one of the most influential gardens in the world, head gardener Fergus Garrett believes that we can support wildlife by having lots of different sorts of gardens. There doesn’t need to be an ‘either/or’ situation. The Middle-Sized Garden.
Minifigures are going to love LEGO 10329 Tiny Plants. The LEGO Botanical Collection is no stranger to unusual part usage, but 10329 Tiny Plants may be the most minifigure-friendly entry yet. Brick Fanatics.
Encourage an orchid to ‘repeat bloom’ with one easy task before winter. Houseplant experts have shared one job which orchid owners should be doing to "encourage" the indoor plant to "re-bloom". Daily Express.
Six on Saturday: the Battle Continues. I seem to have been a little lax in the garden of late, the result of weather or other commitments rather than general sloth, but seem to have made up for it this week by ticking off many and varied jobs on my mental ‘to do’ list. Cathy @ Rambling in the Garden Blog.
In other news:
Best gifts for gardeners 2023: Top ideas for green-fingered family and friends. Evening Standard.
🍐Cubbington pear tree sprouts into life after replanting. A celebrated pear tree that was removed to make way for the HS2 rail line has shows signs of growth after being replanted. BBC.
❄️'Tender' plants that shouldn't be planted in late autumn. Keen gardeners may be itching to get planting for the spring ahead, but some plants will end up frostbitten if put in the ground now. While spring bulbs can be safely planted in the autumn, ‘tender’ plants, such as dahlias, aren’t hardy enough to survive the cold months while they are young. In Your Area.
October Allotment Garden Update 2023. After spending quite a few weeks away from my allotment (I got married!) this episode is a chance for me to get back into the swing of things and to reconnect with the garden. Watch as I befriend a very tame robin, and harvest my autumn crops including main crop potatoes, beetroot and squash. Homegrown. YouTube.
7 plants to prune in November – cut back these ornamentals and edibles this month. November is the start of pruning season for many deciduous trees and shrubs that enter their dormancy when the cold weather arrives. It is also an ideal time to trim perennials that shone during summer, but now need cutting back before winter. Home & Gardens.
Larch Cottage, Cumbria: An immersive journey amid a wealth of architecture, ornaments and plants to find magic and tranquillity. Charles Quest-Ritson joins the legion of garden enthusiasts who make the pilgrimage to the dramatic plant nurseries at Larch Cottage in Cumbria. Country Life.
🌳How to tend to the trees in your garden. Experts offer advice on how to care for your trees, including when to prune, how to mulch and why fungi aren’t as scary as you might think. Daily Telegraph. Subscription required.
🎃How to make a pumpkin flower vase. It's a clever way to reuse your pumpkins after Halloween. House Beautiful.
📈 The most-clicked/tapped links from the last free newsletter:
Monty Don heartbroken over beloved dog Nell’s death after cancer diagnosis.
How to plant peony bulbs and why autumn is the best time to get planting.
Romsey gardener shares 10 tips to protect plants in the colder weather.
⏰ Thank you for reading my gardening round up :) Do you have a local gardening story you would like to share? Leave a comment and I will get back to you right away.
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