We are now reaching the end of this year main gardening season. As our flowers fade and the risk of frost pushes ever closer, it’s time to reflect on how the weather has treated out garden during the ‘summer’ of 2009.
All-in-all, I think that this summer, although a disappointment on prediction, was still better than the previous two years. We have enjoyed a reasonable mix of rain, sun and the winds of last year were not quite as damaging this year.
There has been some real winners and losers this summer. My hanging baskets have been amazing, but my tomatoes, as in so many gardens were obliterated by the dreaded blight and slugs and snails have very much made the most of the damp conditions.
Oh well, at least the meadows and trees of the UK are green and fresh this year.
This weekend is a good time to ensure that you have made provision for your tender plants for overwintering. Make sure that you gather in your pumpkins and the last of the courgettes. Keep an eye on the weather forecast for night frosts. If there is a risk, bring in your dahlia tubers, begonia tubers and other tender perennials
ps – the other one is a begonia, I just found out
(Regarding: I have a couple of hanging baskets, one with fuchsia, the other one I’m not sure what’s called, but I am unsure what to do with the plants now the cold is setting in.)
Hi Ivana,
Protecting Fuchsias
If I were you, I’d put both the fuchsias (if they are not winter hardy) in a frost free place over winter…they are perennial so they should last for many, many years. Cut them back to 1/3 or 1/2 of the branch length, remove leaves and flowers. Pot them and place in a well lit and cool place. Alternatively, take plenty of cuttings for fresh plants next year.
Protecting Begonias
If they have tubers, then dig them up now, remove the top growth, dry them out and store in a frost free environment. You check for tubers by scraping a little compost from around the base of the plant – you should easily find a hard, woody, almost beetroot-like growth. The tubers (and plant) will get bigger each year, so do protect them!
If your begonias don’t have tubers, then they are fibrous rooted. In this case, you could try taking cuttings – very easy, but must be kept in a frost free environment.
I forgot to mention – Begonias: Plant them in pots of compost in early spring and protect from frosts. Begonias are pretty sensitive to frosts. You may have gathered from this blog – I do love my begonias