Giant red mustard and mustard mizuna | Photos by the writer
Autumn is a very exciting time to be a gardener as there is such a huge and amazing variety of seeds, bulbs and corms to plant that it can be difficult to know where to begin. However, be certain of one thing, wherever you decide to start, this is a thrilling time indeed.
No matter how carried away you get though, remember that seed sowing and the planting of everything else that grows, must be done with proper care and attention, if your enthusiastic efforts are to succeed. Meticulous attention must be paid to planting depths, distances and to maintain soil moisture without washing everything away.
With the above guidelines in mind and seeds, bulbs and corms at hand, there is no time like this to get outside and indulge in a hefty dose of gardening fun.
A perfect time to indulge in a hefty dose of gardening fun
SEED SOWING SUGGESTIONS FOR OCTOBER
Flower seeds: There are countless winter-into-spring flowers to be sown now, some started off in seed trays/pots, others sown directly in the ground. The ever popular antirrhinum, in its many forms and colours, is an excellent border or pot plant. Whilst it is a little slow to get going, it flowers over a very long period of time. Sweetly scented wallflowers, in single colours or a Persian carpet mix, deserve far more attention than they currently get, as does cerinthe major atropurpurea (honeywort). Add sweet Williams, sweet sultan, nigella, violas, pansies, Bellis, cornflowers, larkspur, godetia, bedding geraniums, pelargoniums, pinks, carnations, coreopsis, petunias, lobelia, alyssum, verbena, salvias, ageratum, bidens, aquilegia candytuft, Queen Anne’s lace and a liberal splatter of mixed annual poppies and chrysanthemums. In the second half of the month, plant masses of sweet peas and you will have a splendid garden indeed.