Dan & Julia kick off the new series of their podcast with their reflections on the long, hot summer of 2025, comparing notes on how it's impacted their gardens and their plans for the future. Also in this episode, your hosts share simple recipes that helped turn a glut of courgettes into tasty and crowd-pleasing meals, plus a list of jobs you can do in your garden to keep it beautiful and bountiful through early autumn.

Garden jobs for the fortnight

1. Watch out for powdery mildew, which takes hold when a plant has dry roots and wet foliage. It’s prevalent in autumn. Spray the leaves of vulnerable plants with a solution of bicarb dissolved in water - a teaspoon should do. Or invest in a mildewcide such as SB Plant Invigorator.
2. Keep deadheading dahlias and make sure they’re firmly staked.
3. Watch out for Asian Hornets and report sightings to the UK Centre for Egology and Hydrology
4. Start planting spring-flowering bulbs. Daffodils and snowdrops in particular will start producing roots as soon as the first autumn rain has fallen.
5. Box moth caterpillars will be starting their last lifecycle before winter, so don’t stop whatever preventative treatments you’re using until October.
6. Direct sow hardy annuals, including wildflower seeds, into prepared seed beds. Resist the urge to scatter seeds among grasses or established plants; the competition will be too much for your seedlings.
7. Start making space in your greenhouse, conservatory or garage for tender plants that need winter protection.
8. Continue sowing salads, such as lettuce, rocket, and mizuna.
9. Find a good pair of gardening gloves that will help you work in wet weather. We’ve just discovered Niwaki’s fleece-lined rubber gloves and love them!
10. Start to store fruit, namely apples and pears, slightly under-ripe, with no soft or damaged fruit. Store in a cool place in trays that allow air to circulate.

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Dan's Calendar of Events
• Parker's Patch
• Report an Asian Hornet Sighting

Expertly produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

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