Yeah Steve, with Lavender if you cut into the woody stems it won't grow new shoots. If the Lavender is too tall and bushy, leave it and take some cuttings to start new fresh plants, but that is another story for later. You can cut back other 'woody' stemmed shrubs such as Roses, Hebe, Azaleas, Hydrangeas, Fuschia etc, but not just yet. Leave any berry forming shrubs such as Pyracantha for the birds in winter, the residents will love watching them.
Just for now, clear up any dead or diseased plants or diseased leaves, get rid of weeds that will cause more work next spring. Get the raised beds ready.
Do you need any seeds?
Just ask us anything. Weather is good for time of year, perfect for gardening!
Seeds.. yes this is something I need to get sorted in my calendar, when to start and what with. I doubt very much there is any budget for this sort of thing. Think the activities coordinator has a little £ available for me to tap into. Guess I am going to need a little green house/cold frame.
Going to look at the raised beds and work out some sort of planting to keep showing throughout the year.
Thinking 2 out the front of the house for pretty flowers, pansies, pinks, daffs, tulips, bluebells, bulbs and the like, and the 2 to the rear for veg and herbs. beans, peas, chillies, strawberries, rhubarb.
Don't worry about seeds too much, I have plenty if you would like them and people on here also have lots to donate.
You're right about the raised beds when it comes to flowering times and seasons. Just now bulbs are important to get in, other later flowering plants can be sorted later.
I don't grow veg, only flowers and non-edibles, so if you need any help when you start those I won't be much good except with veg seeds I am sent that I could pass on to you.
Generally agree with all the things said so far. For the next few weeks you will probably have your hands full with clearing leaves & clearing summer bedding. Do you have somewhere out of sight you can make a leaf bin? (very simple 4 poles & chicken wire walls). That way you'll have somewhere to put the leaves & you should have soil conditioner for this time next year. Hopefully you have a regular composting area already.
This is certainly the right time of year to be thinking about planting bulbs. If you have interested residents - what about letting them do their own pots to express some individuality? There's a lot of info abt at the moment showing how to layer bulbs in pots so you have a succession from early to late spring.
For the raised beds I would use bulbs for spring interest but I would also consider planting summer flowering perennials such as the hardy geraniums with them. The geraniums die right back in the winter and allow the smaller spring bulbs to sing - but then they start to produce foliage (at various times but usually early to mid spring). This conveniently starts to hide the rather untidy post-flowering bulb leaves which need to stay in place for several weeks to feed the bulbs for next year. Some small evergreens (small leaved ivy?) would help to tie things together throughout the year. Just shout for name suggestions.
Another job for now - if you want to improve the grassed areas this is the time for scarifying, autumn lawn treatments and not allowing a thick layer of leaves to accumulate.
If you have any areas of decking or shaded paving keep an eye on those for algae growth & treat as soon as you notice any - they can become lethally slippery for both young and old!
Good luck
Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
Thank you Topbird quite a list. I have my resident's involvement at 2.30 today. Going to empty out some of the many planter boxes we have around the place and perhaps treat some to a coat or preservative. I have a carer to assist so that's a start.
Me and a gentleman names Ken, emptied, scrapped, wire brushed and treated a number of old wooden planters that were lying around. A mist enjoyable session for both of us.
Another nice little shrub under which to hide the dying but so necessary leaves of bulbs, are the smaller leaved hebes - be careful though, the larger leaved ones are able to become very large shrubs indeed, not really what you want! There are many small ones which are pretty in leaf and in flower. Mixed with some of the hardy geraniums previously mentioned could give a very good look to start with.
I have a few specifics you might be able to help me with.
We have a few roses in pots lying around the place and all and all look a bit spindly. I guess that they all need cutting back but when is the correct time and how far do I cut back ?
Posts
Yeah Steve, with Lavender if you cut into the woody stems it won't grow new shoots. If the Lavender is too tall and bushy, leave it and take some cuttings to start new fresh plants, but that is another story for later. You can cut back other 'woody' stemmed shrubs such as Roses, Hebe, Azaleas, Hydrangeas, Fuschia etc, but not just yet. Leave any berry forming shrubs such as Pyracantha for the birds in winter, the residents will love watching them.
Just for now, clear up any dead or diseased plants or diseased leaves, get rid of weeds that will cause more work next spring. Get the raised beds ready.
Do you need any seeds?
Just ask us anything. Weather is good for time of year, perfect for gardening!
Thanks for all of your replies.
Seeds.. yes this is something I need to get sorted in my calendar, when to start and what with. I doubt very much there is any budget for this sort of thing. Think the activities coordinator has a little £ available for me to tap into. Guess I am going to need a little green house/cold frame.
Going to look at the raised beds and work out some sort of planting to keep showing throughout the year.
Thinking 2 out the front of the house for pretty flowers, pansies, pinks, daffs, tulips, bluebells, bulbs and the like, and the 2 to the rear for veg and herbs. beans, peas, chillies, strawberries, rhubarb.
Steve
Don't worry about seeds too much, I have plenty if you would like them and people on here also have lots to donate.
You're right about the raised beds when it comes to flowering times and seasons. Just now bulbs are important to get in, other later flowering plants can be sorted later.
I don't grow veg, only flowers and non-edibles, so if you need any help when you start those I won't be much good except with veg seeds I am sent that I could pass on to you.
Steve
Hi Steve S
Generally agree with all the things said so far. For the next few weeks you will probably have your hands full with clearing leaves & clearing summer bedding. Do you have somewhere out of sight you can make a leaf bin? (very simple 4 poles & chicken wire walls). That way you'll have somewhere to put the leaves & you should have soil conditioner for this time next year. Hopefully you have a regular composting area already.
This is certainly the right time of year to be thinking about planting bulbs. If you have interested residents - what about letting them do their own pots to express some individuality? There's a lot of info abt at the moment showing how to layer bulbs in pots so you have a succession from early to late spring.
For the raised beds I would use bulbs for spring interest but I would also consider planting summer flowering perennials such as the hardy geraniums with them. The geraniums die right back in the winter and allow the smaller spring bulbs to sing - but then they start to produce foliage (at various times but usually early to mid spring). This conveniently starts to hide the rather untidy post-flowering bulb leaves which need to stay in place for several weeks to feed the bulbs for next year. Some small evergreens (small leaved ivy?) would help to tie things together throughout the year. Just shout for name suggestions.
Another job for now - if you want to improve the grassed areas this is the time for scarifying, autumn lawn treatments and not allowing a thick layer of leaves to accumulate.
If you have any areas of decking or shaded paving keep an eye on those for algae growth & treat as soon as you notice any - they can become lethally slippery for both young and old!
Good luck
Thank you Topbird quite a list. I have my resident's involvement at 2.30 today. Going to empty out some of the many planter boxes we have around the place and perhaps treat some to a coat or preservative. I have a carer to assist so that's a start.
Me and a gentleman names Ken, emptied, scrapped, wire brushed and treated a number of old wooden planters that were lying around. A mist enjoyable session for both of us.
Another nice little shrub under which to hide the dying but so necessary leaves of bulbs, are the smaller leaved hebes - be careful though, the larger leaved ones are able to become very large shrubs indeed, not really what you want! There are many small ones which are pretty in leaf and in flower. Mixed with some of the hardy geraniums previously mentioned could give a very good look to start with.
Hi Guys and again thank you for the help to date.
I have a few specifics you might be able to help me with.
We have a few roses in pots lying around the place and all and all look a bit spindly. I guess that they all need cutting back but when is the correct time and how far do I cut back ?
These are starting to look very tired I assume they come out and get binned?