Topical Tips for October

Start sowings of hardy annuals and sweet peas under glass

Change the plantings in hanging baskets for winter interest

Lift and divide herbaceous perennials

Lift and store main crop potatoes.

Store undamaged apples and pears in a cool, dark well ventilated room such as a garage or garden shed.

Prepare the garden for winter: keep drains and ponds etc free from leaves and debris, clean and store garden tools, ensure that greenhouse glass is clean, and that any shading has been replaced by insulation.

Spetchley Open in October

Well, here we are again, almost at the end of the season. We are open weekends in October this year so any visitors coming to the gardens will, for the first time, be able to see the trees clothed in their autumn colours.

At the moment the autumn cyclamen, and asters are looking their best, and we also have a garden full of 'naked ladies'! Before you rush off to complain ( or get too excitied...), I must point out that it is one of the common names for the autumn crocus, or colchicum!

Regular diary readers will know that we save all our yew hedge clippings for conversion into the cancer fighting drug Taxol, and have done so for the last 6 years. This is a very interesting process, and was recently filmed by the BBC for Midlands Today. Richard did all the main hedgecutting shots (See pic); the gardens were shown in all their glory, and the phone did not stop ringing. I was then asked to do a live radio interview the next evening, and photographed for the local newspaper the following day.

We were expecting a fish company to come and remove all our larger carp from the garden lake this month, but there was a temporary clampdown on the movement of fish so we are still waiting for that exciting event.

And finally, Alex has left us to move on to pastures new. We all wish him the very best.