IN THE GARDEN

What to plant in October

October weather facts

Average high temperature: 28°C Average low temperature: 23° 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 23°C to 28°C. 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.

Ask Debby

District Councillor for Sai Kung Islands Debby Chan answers your questions

Are council meetings back?

With the Mid-Autumn Festival coming up, I am hoping that Covid-19 cases stay down so that the town can enjoy a lovely celebration together. We need events and activities to warm up the community again.

What’s up with weekend traffic?

The council is well aware of the weekend traffic problem. Not only tourists have to wait to get into the town, but residents also struggle to get out of it. To get everyone out of the trap, we are trying to start from the centre. A few suggestions have been brought up in the council, including rearranging the public transport terminals and parking spaces and even setting up gates at the road entrances. I personally think there are not enough parking spaces for the amount of vehicles during peak times, but the Transport Department disagrees. They refuse to review the price of the private parking or add new spaces. However, an underground car park has been proposed for District 4 (the land next to the sports field and Hong Kong Academy). Council meetings resumed slowly last month starting from four hours a week, to now being full day meetings. There are numerous items to be discussed so every council member is enthusiastic to share their ideas, making each meeting longer than expected.

Are visitors harming Sai Kung’s environment?

On one hand, we are worried that Sai Kung is on the edge of its carrying capacity, on the other we can see the efforts made to clean trails and the beaches. The AFCD has recently appointed design company URBIS to redesign the Sai Kung Country Park Visitor Hub at Pak Tam Chung to help educate and encourage visitors to be more mindful during their visit.

Got a council question for Debby? Email

What is on your agenda for October?

Where are all the parking spaces?

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Debby Chan Ka Lam is the District Councillor for Sai Kung Islands, striving for a more sustainable community.