Autumn Jobs

Another busy week behind me.  This week I’ve been doing a lot of autumn tidying for customers:

• Cutting back perennial plants
• Autumn weed and feed on lawns
• Raking up the dead leaves which drop in endless waves at this time of year
• Renovation pruning

Top Tip:

When renovating a really overgrown shrub (and believe me I’ve dealt with some these last few weeks) it’s best to tackle it over 2 or even 3 years.  Hacking an 8 foot monster back to the 2 foot space originally allocated may just prove too much of a shock for the plant if done all at once.  Instead take out roughly a third of the oldest stems right to the base this year and repeat next year.  The other stems can be reduced by a third to a half of their length.  You need to be aware of the flowering habit of the shrub however – does it flower on last years growth for instance – to avoid, if possible, a year or two without flowers.

Next week I’ve got a couple of garden plans to draw up, which is fortunate because the weather’s looking a little shaky.