A New Season in the Garden

by Sandy Robson

As I write this, the evening temperature has dipped below 10◦ C. It’s time to adjust my mindset and get ready for Fall—and Winter—in the garden.

IT HAS BEEN VERY HOT AND DRY THIS SUMMER SO AS MUCH AS I AM SAD TO SEE SUMMER FADE, I AM ALSO TIRED OF ALL THE WATERING BY HAND. The crickets have been telling me, for a while now, that it is time for shorter days, cooler temperatures and some rain at last! But the onset of Fall on the west coast does not mean the end to gardening; there is still much we can do to enrich our gardens, and to extend the pleasures of being outdoors this season.

I have a climbing rose that has some black spot on it this year, so I am removing the affected leaves from both the plant itself and the surrounding soil. All will go into a bag for the garbage … NEVER compost leaves that have black spot or other fungal problems. Once garden and veg beds are cleared of annuals, and the pruning has been done, it is time to tuck everyone in under a nice blanket of compost (keep back from the trunks of shrubs and trees) to protect them over winter and improve the quality of the soil for next year’s growth.

Rosehips make beautiful additions to fall bouquets.

Pruning and general tidying up chores will replace watering and weeding. Removing spent annuals and crops makes for better air flow in the garden which helps to slow down transmission of powdery mildew and fungal growth, and allows more light to get through to the last of the ripening fruit and veggies.

To increase the number of plants in my 2022 garden, I have begun taking cuttings to overwinter in the greenhouse—a cold frame or other sheltered area will do as well—where they will wait to be potted up, and then planted out next spring. So far, I have “little sticks” of lavender, rosemary, red valerian, hydrangea, coneflower, and scented geranium (hopefully) rooting themselves in pots of perlite and compost. I also have several little pots with strawberry shoots still attached via runners to the mother plant. As they take hold and produce a few new leaves (in about three to four weeks) I will clip the runners and—fingers crossed—I will have some healthy new plants ready for my garden next spring.

Strawberry starts waiting to be stowed safely in the greenhouse.

And the happy task of harvesting flowers and edibles continues… with late harvest squash and pumpkins, sunflowers, cosmos, the last gasp of raspberries taking centre stage in the garden right now. Then there are the herbs like rosemary and sage to be cut and dried for use throughout the year—I see you turkey stuffing—and October will mean it is it time to plant out the garlic cloves and tulip bulbs. This year I am trying all pots with my spring flowering bulbs, and will be layering them to achieve a succession of blooms in one space. There is always room for learning when it comes to our gardens… and truthfully that is half the fun.

Sunflowers

May you and your garden continue to grow and thrive together! When your garden is all tucked in for the winter and you crave a little online garden time, check out some of our fave gardening resources.

Pumpkin season!

Based in the UK, Gardeners’ World is the mother of all gardening programming. Their online content from the magazine and the BBC television series of the same name hosted by Monty Don, is like an encyclopedia of gardening wisdom. They have a comprehensive website (gardenersworld.com) and social media accounts, including Facebook and Instagram.

Host and gardening guru, Monty Don is also a gifted writer—I am currently making my way through Down to Earth— and has his own website (montydon.com) and social media presence on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter.

I also enjoy following the video channel of Bunny Guinness—another UK gardener—on YouTube… full of practical tips and gardening hacks, and tours of her stunning garden design projects.

Horticulturist, author, speaker, podcaster, and columnist for the Calgary Herald, Donna Balzer, now makes her home in Qualicum Beach. You can learn more at: donnabalzer.com and subscribe to her YouTube channel, as well as Facebook, Instagram & Twitter!

Passions magazine designer, Po Wan, recently introduced me to Linda Vater, a self-taught garden designer and stylist who also writes and produces garden media for broadcast. Her YouTube channel is delightful. So grab a mimosa and enjoy her soft southern drawl as she escorts you through the everchanging garden of her 1935 English Tudor home in Oklahoma City.

Do you have any favourite garden gurus and resources to share with Passions readers? Do tell!

Email the editor at: passions@fairwinds.ca