LR Peterlee Town Council Autumn 2021 - Flipbook - Page 9
Gardening
Top Tips from the Parks Team
Li ing Tender Plants
Over the next couple of months, the
temperature is going to drop to levels
that some nonHhardy plants cannot cope
with. To save these plants, they can be
li"ed out of the ground using a spade
and placed into pots with compost.
Keep these indoors or in a greenhouse
over the winter period. Some examples
of plants that you need to do this with
are geraniums (if you wish to keep
them) and lemon verbena. For dahlias,
you will need to cut back any le"over
foliage then dig around the plant and
li" the tubers out of the ground.
Place the tubers into a large pot and
cover with compost. Place something
dark over the top such as cardboard or
tarpaulin and place in the shed or a
dark cupboard over the winter.
End of Year Garden Tidy up
Autumn is the Tme to Tdy and make
sure that none of your plants have to
work harder than they need to through
the winter months. Some gardeners like
to cut back their perennial plants and
do a general Tdy up, however some
people like to leave the foliage on the
plants so that there is winter interest in
their garden. The TdyingHup of old
foliage can then be done in the Spring
before the new growing season begins.
There really isn’t a right or wrong way,
it’s just down to individual preference
and whether you like a neat and Tdy
garden or not!
Whether it’s a bit of weeding to keep
on top of things or planning some new
plan?ng to revive a ?red border, there
are always gardening jobs to do. Spring
and autumn, the bookends of the
growing season, are busy ?mes of the
year for gardeners. In this edi?on
we’re having a look at some ideas for
what to do in your garden this autumn.
Bulb Plan?ng
Now is the Tme to start thinking about
spring colour in your garden. There is
such a variety to choose from: da6odils,
tulips, hyacinths, the list is endless. Once
you have made your choice then your
next step is to buy the bulbs you want.
You can buy a bulb planTng tool but do
not worry if you don’t have one, a
trowel will do the job. You will need to
dig out a hole 3 Tmes the depth of the
bulb which is usually about 3 inches.
Place the bulb into the hole root side
down, then cover it back up. Do this for
each bulb. Then all you will need to do
is wait for Spring to come, and nature
will do the rest!
Soil in a pot
Remove trowel
Dig a hole 3 inches deep
Put bulb in rootside down
Items needed to plant bulb
Peterlee 9
