An Autumn Chop ?

Our new autumn season is here! And with it comes an extensive range of NEW and exciting spring-flowering bulbs. We simply cannot wait to show you what you can plant in your gardens this autumn. Here are just a few selections from our new range that you should definitely be growing this year.  Tulips 

It seems strange, I know, to talk of growing winter crops for the polytunnel or glasshouse, smack-bang in the middle of a very sultry Irish summer. But the simple truth is that the secret to making the best, and most productive use, of these valuable covered growing spaces throughout the year has always been to plan and propagate very far ahead.

Surprisingly, even way up north in Aberdeen the garden still holds on to a Summer look at the very end of September, and with an improvement in the weather, lets hope for an Indian Summer.

Sedum Spectabile Autumn Joy brings great colour to the border when so many other perennials have gone over.

We planted the Hebe Autumn Glory in our front garden four years ago.

In late May, many of us look forward to seeing social media posts about the Chelsea Flower Show. The timing of this event is a reminder that there are many perennials that benefit from a late spring cutback, commonly known as the “Chelsea chop.” Many perennials that bloom in midsummer, late summer, or fall can be pinched or cut back early in the season to increase flower production, limit plant size, extend or delay bloom time, create novel flower combinations, and minimize flopping or lodging. While the chop is generally timed to coincide with the famous flower show, it’s more important to time the trimming for a point when a significant amount of vegetative growth has occurred. For the Mid-Atlantic region, this can be any time from midspring to early summer.

This hardy perennial is a favorite among gardeners for its stunning display of pink flowers that bloom late into the fall season. Delve into everything you need to know about Autumn Joy Sedum Care to keep it healthy and vibrant all season long.

Before going any further I would like to clear up any confusion for the new visitors logging in to Aberdeen gardening.  I started posting on Aberdeen gardening back in 2006. However, we moved away from Aberdeen in 2014.

Autumn Glory at Great Dixter The autumn plant fair at Dixter just gets better and better – and going there on a day of cloudless blue skies and warm sun made it particularly glorious. This year there were thirty-two stands including several specialist nurseries from Europe as well as the cream of the UK crop.

This is always my favourite of the shows at Vincent Square – it is full of late autumn colour and magnificent displays of fruit and vegetables.  This one was no exception and was full of enthusiastic gardeners buying plants and oohing and aahing  over the perfectly manicured giant vegetables.

Autumn Sown, Well Grown I know I do bang on about it, but autumn sowing of hardy annuals in a greenhouse or coldframe really does make all the difference. At a time when the light levels are low and leaf growth slows right down, the young plants are able to put most of their energy into growing a substantial root system which will get them off to a flying start when they are planted out in the spring.

At the Thompson & Morgan press day a couple of months ago we were all given packets of Terrain peas and Sweet Horizon mangetout with the instructions to go home and sow them that weekend.  They are new downy and powdery mildew-resistant varieties that will keep growing for picking through October and November. Rather than sow them in the ground, I’ve put them in large pots accompanied by Swiss chard and plan to move them into the greenhouse as soon as the tomatoes have finished cropping. A friend