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What to plant in October October weather facts Average high temperature: 28째C Average low temperature: 23째 Average rainfall: 100.9mm Average rainfall days: 7.4 days For my years acting as superintendent of the Botanical Gardens, I found October the most pleasant of all months. Temperatures in this delightful month range from 23째C to 28째C. The air is relatively dry but not intolerably. Ah, the browning of the leaves reminds me of my important duty. October soil is the most nurturing of all, best used to grow nourishing vegetables. Seeds of the following may be sown: mustard and cress, delicious lettuce and radish, adorable brussel sprouts and flavourful parsley, sage and thyme. You shall also plant out cabbage, cauliflower, vegetable marrow and celery. Flowers, whilst their life most fleeting, will dress your garden with magnificent colours. Seeds of the following flowers are most preferable to plant: French and African marigolds, nicotianas, sweet alyssum, daisy, sunflowers and pansy. Prune your roses and nourish them with a generous dressing of manure. Remember, you shall not sow your seeds too shallow nor too deep, water your plants too much, nor too little. Moderation is key. At last, I offer you advice of utmost importance for your craft. Plants demand care and love likened to our soul. Mere skill does not maketh a good gardener, but passion and heart. Take care of your plants with the care and attention you would give your children - a motto every earnest gardener should keep at heart. By William James Tutcher F.L.S. (1867-1920) Superintendent of Hong Kong Botanical Gardens. Paraphrased from his seminal 1906 work Gardening for Hong Kong.
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