October in the Garden Show Notes

In this autumnal edition of Dig It, Peter Brown and Chris Day discuss the recent September Chelsea Flower Show and how a change of season has created a very different event. Elsewhere the demise of the front garden and the lawn, the concerns over our failing tree population and how moths are being affected by the change from sodium to LED street lights.

The Dig it team also look at those vital tasks for the month including making leafmould, protecting tender plants from Jack frost, putting the lawn to bed with the last feed of the growing season and making sure those last plantings of onions, shallots and garlic are completed.

Plants and products mentioned

Adiantum, Asters, Runner Bean Enorma, Cordyline, Calendula, Chamomile lawn, Cacti, Comfrey, Datura (Brugmansia) Honesty seed, Echinacea, Helenium, Fagus (Beech), Silver birch, Hostas, Musa (Banana), Dahlia, Garlic (varieties listed below) , Strawberries, Clematis from Raymond Evison, Nephrolepis, stags horn fern, Rudbeckia Goldstrum, Pieris, Rhododendron, Ornamental grasses, hardy ferns, Herbs, Kniphofia, Thymes, Quercus (Oak).

National tree planting launched at Chelsea – The Queen’s Canopy – plant a tree for the Queen’s Jubilee

French Garlic Germidour, Thermidrome and Topadrome. Garlic Garcuat. Garlic Elephant - Garlic Early Purple Wight, Garlic Carcassonne Wight and Shallots Griselle and Jermor.

Onion Sets Autumn Champion, Electric, Radar, Red Winter and Senshyu Yellow.

Feeding the lawn for winter Miracle-Gro® EverGreen® Autumn Lawn Care Fertiliser analysis: Contains iron sulphate. NPK 6-5-10. Available in store.

Displayed and beautifully lit at Chelsea - Malvern Garden Buildings also on site at the Garden Centre

Frost protection products Fleece Jackets from Haxnicks, horticultural fleece and Environ mesh Bubble wrap for greenhouse insulation and surrounding glazed pots.

News stories

Chelsea Flower Show 2021 in September. Gardens featured at the show on the RHS website

One in three trees face extinction in wild, says BBC news report

Best ways to keep spiders out of our homes this autumn, including conkers. We’d love to hear your tried and tested ways of keeping the spiders out here

LED streetlights decimating moth numbers in England news story  

September 23rd - October 23rd Seed gathering season tips from the RHS  

1st October International Coffee Day We have spent coffee grounds available at our restaurant and these are ideal to help deter slugs and snails, apply around your bulbs to deter squirrels (apparently they don’t like the smell) and you can use the grounds to increase the acidity in your soil but use sparingly.

6th October Masterclass on growing Trees, Shrubs and Hedges for Smaller Gardens at the Garden Centre

21 October Apple Day – how it started

Useful links

Some of the best UK gardens famed for their autumn colour

Buckingham Centre article on the importance of moths, how to record moths using traps and a look at the best plants to encourage moths into our gardens

Creating perfect leafmould

Layering of bulbs or lasagna planting video

Music by Chiltern Music Therapy

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