- Autumn is also the best time for planting fruit, soil temperatures are still warm and they have all Winter to settle into their new home before the growth in Spring. Whether you plan on growing some plants in the ground or in containers, there are varieties to suit every garden and indeed every gardener.
- Lots of recent studies are praising getting out and doing some gardening doing wonders for physical and mental health, so add that to getting a bit of home grown fruit, you’ve plenty of reasons to get out and do up some pots or get some plants in the ground.
- A few varieties of fruit you could consider and amongst my own favorites would be Rhubarb, a very easy plant to grow that produces lots of tasty stalks every year and unlike lots of other fruit or veg it can be ready to harvest as early as February or March. Rhubarb likes an open, sunny or partially shaded site, and rich, moist soil.
- Blueberries - reckoned to be one of the highest in antioxidant levels of all common fruit and veg and great to throw on top of your porridge in the morning or doing up a batch of Blueberry muffins - As plants they prefer acidic soil or, if you need to, you can grow them in a pot or container with ericaceous compost.We sell a 3pk of Blueberries with 3 different varieties that will fruit July, August and September and will give you a good yield.
- It’s also a great time to plant Apple trees and there’s loads to choose from but a great one to consider is the Coronet Dwarf Family Apple tree - this has two varieties on the one tree - so it is pollinated with no need for a second tree - and you can grow it in a container or out in your garden
- You can also grow raspberries and plums, pears and damsons, quince, tayberries, blackcurrants gooseberries - whatever takes your fancy - but now is the perfect time for getting them in the ground and look forward to harvesting them this time next year and perhaps filling the presses with home made jams and jellies and juices or tarts or just eating fresh from the trees or shrubs
A few jobs for the week ahead;
- Cyclamen are an excellent plant for containers at this time of year - great colour and long lasting flowers
- Skimmia shrubs look great at this time of the year and are a great winter shrub - if you have some give some ericaceous feed - if you don’t have some consider using them as a pot filler
- Sow seeds like Aquilegia, Lupins, Calendula and Hollyhock for flowers next Spring and Summer and perhaps prep the ground for sowing some wildflower seeds
- Set your lawn up for the winter with some autumn lawn feed and consider scarifying and aerating the lawn
- Plant up your spring flowering bulbs - snowdrops, daffs, tulips, bluebells, alliums a lots more varieties - great for pots and beds