Garden Answers October 2023

When we think of an autumn garden, it’s mostly in traditional hues – browns, oranges and russet reds. But as lovely as those colours are, there can be so much more to our plots as the days shorten and the temperature drops. Starting on page 14 in this issue, Liz Potter looks at the Decadent Dawdlers – those summer plants that grow old gracefully - and the Late-Season Lovelies, which always burst into life at this time of year. Combined, they make for a garden that is still a wonderful blend of colour, even if they do not give off the fiery, hot hues of high summer. At a time of the year when many folk are thinking of putting their gardens to bed, it is great to realise that…

1 Give MIchaelmas daisies plenty of space to grow unobstructed and avoid growing them on hot, exposed sites to help reduce the risk of mildew. 2 Persicaria amplexicaulis is a good choice for clay soil and starts flowering in late summer. Divide regularly to control spread. H&S: 1.2m. 3 As autumn begins, stems of Verbena bonariensis sprawl through the border to reach further than ever and make new colour combinations. H: 1.5m, S: 60cm.…

The Royal Horticultural Society has handed Award of Garden Merit (AGM) status to 29 dahlias, after a trial of more than 90 different cultivars reached its conclusion at RHS Garden Wisley. Judges, including dahlia national collection holders, flower farmers and expert gardeners, looked at how long the plants flowered, bloom and foliage quality, vigour and overall disease resistance. The AGM status is a sign that the plant is a reliable one for gardeners to grow in their gardens. Among the AGM winners were: ‘Totally Tangerine’, an anemone-centred dahlia with gorgeous coral flowers that was found to grow especially well in containers; pale apricot ‘Labyrinth’ with its large informal flowers and complementary dark stems and dark green foliage; ‘Crème de Cassis’, a strong grower with pretty, two-tone lilac and plum waterlily…

Easy leaf collector £14.99 Lightweight woven tarpaulin, coopersofstortford.co.uk. Garden Life Lawn Rake £29.99 Light and easy to use, with stainless steel head, marshallsgarden.com. Hand leaf grabs £7.99 Durable but lightweight, gardeningexpress.co.uk. Long-handled leaf collectors £29.95 Scissor-action grabbers to save back strain, sarahraven.com. Autumn leaf clear umbrella £12.95 Domed-canopy umbrella for autumn rain, brolliesgalore.co.uk. Leaf mould bags £8.95 Set of two bags made from biodegradable leaf jute, sarahraven.com. Japanese maple heatchange mug £14.99 Enjoy a gardener’s tea break with this colour-changing mug, culturevulturedirect.co.uk.…

Miscanthus sinensis ‘Flamingo’ A graceful grass that hangs down handsomely under the weight of its tassel-like flowers in autumn. ✿ H: 2m, S: 1m, £12.55, Knoll Gardens, knollgardens.co.uk. Panicum virgatum ‘Shenandoah’ An upright grass with dainty maroon flowers from summer, accompanied by rich burgundy streaks on the foliage in autumn. ✿ H&S: 90cm, £6.74, Crocus, crocus.co.uk. Molinia arundinacea ‘Windspiel’ Clouds of wispy, straw-coloured beads add some frothy autumnal atmosphere while letting the light filter through it. ✿ H: 2.5m, S: 1m, £4.99, J Parkers, jparkers.co.uk. Pennisetum ‘Red Head’ Beautiful fountains of bottlebrush flowers go from red to purple-brown by autumn. Needs a sunny, sharply-drained spot. ✿ H: 1m, S: 60cm, £14, Hayloft, hayloft.co.uk. Acorus ‘Ogon’ A superb evergreen plant for damp soil and shade, with glowing, glossy strands that shine…

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