Autumn is my favourite time of the month especially for floristry, I love the deep reds oranges purples pinks October has been quite a mild sunny months and really show’s up the autumnal colours.

My Dahlias have flowered beautifully and Verbena Bonasaris has flowered all summer and still going strong now, thinning out and small cut backs invigorates for an autumn show.

I mentioned in the summer about Yaldling organic Gardens if you want to venture out of CP it had closed for a while and has reopened it is not part of RHS but is promoting Organic gardening and really wants to encourage children and have great child friendly cafe and I have to say the food was excellent before and good value and still is, Very healthy and tasty.

http://yaldingorganicgardens.info/

You can see the different methods of composting /wormeries and styles of gardening through the years, there are a few area’s to develop but the garden is a perfect size to take children not too big and there is a children’s garden and flat maze and toy’s you can take into the garden.

They also sell their own organic produce.  

My Top 10 tips for OCT

1. Collect your leaves you can bag up or make a leaf bin using thin posts and chicken wire, leaves are broken down by fungi and require cool damp conditions.  I quite like the idea of leaving on the borders and let nature do the hard work.  
2. Weeds are still coming through so hoe if dry enough or pull up and mulch to suppress them and improve soil and protect more venerable plants.
3. Dahlia well dig up and put to bed for winter or leave in the ground and hope for the best. Well I’m tempted to leave in this year and give good mulch they are in the south facing garden and very close to the house. Do I want to risk it???
4. Have access to Fresh horse manure! Crystal palace farm have plenty, if you need it you might be lucky and get hold of well rotted stuff if you dig down and free. It will rot down over winter put in compost bin to increase temp and activation.
5. Leave seed heads for birds to feed on.
6. Pot up those venerable herbs for kitchen window sill for cooking.
7. Plant up bare root plants now.
8. If you’re into propagation take your hard wood cuttings now.
9. Plant your bulbs for spring
10. keep a woody natural messy area the insects need it and hibernating mammals.