November – when timing is everything

The weather forecast is rarely far from a gardener's mind, especially at this time of year. Opening the BBC weather app on his phone (as he does at least once a day, often more!), Head Gardener Jack now checks not just for any rain or wind that may shape his work schedule, but keeps a close eye on night time temperatures too.

In this particular corner of the UK, we can expect the first frost anytime from late October onwards. In a garden with its share of tender and half-hardy plants, this is one weather event it's vital to stay ahead of. On the one hand, we want to enjoy the plants in question for as long as possible (and at Gasper, these include cannas, Canary Island foxgloves, and the more tender salvias), while on the other, we need to get them tucked up in a protected environment before the sub-zero Grim Reaper pays a visit.

This year, Jack decided to take the plunge on Thursday 13th November. Despite the following few days set to remain mild, there was a frost forecast early the following week and, needing a day to dig the plants up and another to get them packed or potted for storage, this was deemed the moment to strike. It was the usual wrench to remove salvias still in full flower, and as the forecast later changed to make no mention of frost, Jack wondered if he'd acted too soon.

Cruel to be kind...

Cannas cut back, washed clean of soil, and packed in vermiculite with a little compost. They will stay in this dormant, unwatered state in the polytunnel until it is safe to plant them back out next year.

Salvias and Canary Island foxgloves, lifted and potted into a light, well-draining compost mix. These will be kept in the greenhouse where a heater keeps the temperature above 5°C.

As it turned out, it had been the right thing to do. Arriving at the garden the following Tuesday morning, it was clear from the sorry state of the dahlias and late summer bedding that there had been an air frost.

What a difference a night makes.

Dahlias are just about tough enough to be left in situ here in Gasper's sandy, well-draining soil.

Another job Jack was keen to complete before a drop in temperature was cutting back the vegetation in and around the pond. This, however, was not for reasons of horticultural excellence, but for his own health! Last year he had left this seemingly not-very-urgent job until later in the year, and subsequently lost feeling in his hands for several days afterwards. Determined not to suffer the same fate again, this year he made sure the job was done in milder conditions and with the help of some neoprene gloves.

Pre-chop back. Although it still looks attractive, leaving it uncut would eventually mean dead foliage rotting on the bottom of the pond and affecting water quality.

This is the only action Jack's wetsuit sees since he moved from Cornwall to Wiltshire.

Job done. Fingers intact.

So what next? It's all hands on deck to carry out a list of autumn jobs in the border before winter descends in full. This includes lifting and dividing existing perennials (perhaps they're congested and in need of rejuvenation, or have been earmarked as better suited to a different spot), as well as removing summer bedding, and planting out tulip bulbs and hardy spring bedding. The payoff for squeezing as much as possible out of autumn-interest planting (as explored in both last month's blog and Youtube video), is that the window of opportunity for this kind of border editing becomes concentrated into just a few weeks.

"You find yourself actually hoping for a frost in the years it's late to arrive", Jack remarks, "just so you can get started on all the autumn work you know needs doing before the ground is frozen solid!".

Added to the list this year is the clearing and replanting a stretch of ground where the Front Garden meets the lawn and the Curved Border. The recent felling and removal of an elderly and disease-stricken Cotoneaster franchetii has opened the space up considerably, prompting a planting rethink from Bella. In recent years the space has been a relatively low-profile, simple mix of winter box and shade-loving ground cover plants, along with, it must be said, a thriving colony of ground elder.

The only photo we could find featuring the Cotoneaster. "In a way, it is quite telling how few photos I have of it!", says Bella. "It was perpetually just out of the line of sight of the 'desirable' photo".

And another, showing just how dense its branches had become. In leaf, the shrub cast dense shade onto the ground beneath.

Now flooded with extra light, the area has been begging for an overhaul. "The aim is to make that bit of the garden something of direct interest, and not just what goes round the corner!", explains Bella. And so, this week those perennials deemed worth keeping (such as ferns, geraniums, brunnera, gillenia, sweet woodruff, and wood aster) were lifted and taken to the polytunnel, where they await a thorough cleaning to remove all trace of ground elder from their roots. The soil was then dug over and weeded, and shall soon be replanted with these originals along with a few new additions.

Giving the ground elder its marching orders.

Cleared and ready for replanting. Many of the stepping stones had to be lifted to allow for thorough removal of the ground elder roots.

The perfect wet weather job. Teasing out the white, fleshy ground elder roots from the rootballs of these perennials takes time, but will mean they can be reused rather than discarded.

There's certainly never a shortage of pressing tasks here at Gasper Cottage. And now, we're off to check that weather app again. Nail-biting stuff, this gardening lark!