The cooler months are some of our favourite times to be in the garden: work done now ensures a bountiful harvest of crops and flowers in spring.
- Autumn and winter are the season for brassicas, which means the cabbage white butterfly will be out in force. Although pretty, the white butterflies lay their eggs onto cabbages, kale, brussels sprouts and other cruciferous crops, leaving their caterpillar young to feast on the growing foliage. The butterflies are said to be territorial, so a popular home remedy is to leave out sticks with small pieces of white paper or cloth attached, fluttering in the wind to deter the real butterflies. There are also safe anti-caterpillar sprays that can be applied.
- Prune spring flowering shrubs such as lavender in autumn to ensure they have sufficient time to develop their flower buds. Lavender should never be pruned back to old wood, meaning stems that have hardened and no longer have foliage growing from them. The plant may not recover from such a hard prune, so take care to prune only into the soft, recent growth.
- You may have noticed your hydrangeas are starting to look a bit tired – don’t worry! Hydrangeas are deciduous and will drop their leaves gradually over the course of winter. You can prune the plant back at any time once the leaves are looking decidedly yellow; this is a signal the leaves have stopped producing energy for the season and will drop off soon. Prune any stems that flowered this year back to a strong pair of buds, about two thirds down the stem. Stems that did not flower this year will carry the flowers for next year, so only give these a light tip prune back to new buds.
OUTHOUSE offers in-person consultations in your garden with qualified and experienced designers and horticulturalists to help you get the most value out of your landscape. We can provide verbal advice, planting plans or a full landscape design. Get in touch with us to discuss your needs.
View past tips for May here!
