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The Garden Website.com

Amanda's Garden Consulting Company
A Japanese maple in full fall colour. Photo by Amanda Jarrett

The Garden Website for October

October Introduction -  October Plant Combo - Amanda's Garden Blog - Garden Chores - Why Leaves Change Colour
October Garden Stars - Plant Police - Lawn Care – Prepping for Winter - Protecting Plants - Storing Dahlias etc 
Containers for Fall & Winter - Ban Bad Caterpillars - The Veggie Bed - What to do with Fall Leaves
October Arrangement - Need Help? - For the Tropical Gardener - Plant of the Month: Virginia Creeper

October gardens,October garden chores,The Garden Website.com,Amanda’s Garden Consulting,Amanda Jarrett
An autumnal display at Harris Nurseries, Ladner.

October Intro

Amanita muscaria,fly agaric,fly amanita,October gardens,October garden chores,The Garden Website.com,Amanda’s Garden Consulting,Amanda Jarrett
The colourful toadstool, Amanita muscaria (fly agaric or fly amanita) growing amid fallen oak leaves.
It’s hard to believe that it’s October already. It seems like just a moment ago I was preparing the winter garden for spring! Has winter come knocking at your door yet? Has snow and freezing temperatures killed your tomato plants and petunias? If so, garden clean-up takes priority - unless everything is covered in snow, then just do what you can.

​For those living in more temperate climates, we still have this month to get our gardens in order, apply mulch, move plants around, finish fall planting of trees, shrubs and spring flowering bulbs.

There’s so much to do, and I am not sure I will get it all done this month, but I sure will give it a try. I try to schedule any planting on a fair weather day, followed by a rainy one.  It is certainly better than the other way around. I’m just hoping my schedule coincides with the weather. 
Cheers,
Amanda
Acer rubrum,red maple,fall colour,October gardens,October garden chores,The Garden Website.com,Amanda’s Garden Consulting,Amanda Jarrett
Red maple, Acer rubrum, a deciduous tree, zone 3-9, 40 to 70' tall.

Amanda's Garden Blog

October gardens,October garden chores,The Garden Website.com,Amanda’s Garden Consulting,Amanda Jarrett
  • Collecting & Saving Seeds
  • Heritage Vancouver 6th Garden Tour
  • The Dunbar Garden Tour 2018
  • Easy Roses Do Exist.. Really!
  • Dart's Hill, A Garden Park
  • VanDusen Botanical Gardens Visit
  • Tall Kale Tales
  • Northwest Flower & Garden Show, Seattle
  • Pruning in Winter
  • Pruning & Training Grape Vines in Winter
  • Insects & Diseases Control with Dormant Spray
  • Why Christmas cactus Don't Blossom
  • A Quickie Festive Swag
  • Putting the Garden to Bed
  • How to Drain Soggy Soil
  • A Visit to the Arizona - Sonora Desert
  • Banana, Palm Tree Winter Protection
  • Lasagna Gardening, Sheet Mulching
  • Saving Geraniums, Coleus, Bougainvilleas & Other Tender Plants 
  • Spiders Everywhere - Oh My!
  • Tomato Troubles & Soil Solarization
  • Trees That Drip That Sticky Stuff
  • Balcony Bliss
  • One Huge Beetle! 
  • A Summer's Day Harvest
  • The Dunbar Garden Club Private Tour
  • Leaky Birdbaths and Slug Free Strawberries
  • Easy Roses
  • Oops... Wrong Plant, Wrong Place
  • I Had An Ugly Lawn...
To subscribe to my blog click here. 

Tricyrtis formosana 'Samarai' toad lily,October gardens,October garden chores,The Garden Website.com,Amanda’s Garden Consulting,Amanda Jarrett
Samarai toad lily, Tricyrtis formosana 'Samarai', a herbaceous perennial, zone 4-9, 2 to 4' tall x 3', shade to part shade.

October Garden Stars

Beautyberry,Callicarpa bodinieri,October gardens,October garden chores,The Garden Website.com,Amanda’s Garden Consulting,Amanda Jarrett
Beautyberry, Callicarpa bodinieri, a North American deciduous shrub, zones 6-8, 6-10', sun to part shade.
Nyssa sylvatica,blackgum,tupelo,fall colour,October gardens,October garden chores,The Garden Website.com,Amanda’s Garden Consulting,Amanda Jarrett
Blackgum, Nyssa sylvatica, zones 3 -9, 30 to 50' tall and 20 to 30' wide, sun.

Fullmoon maple,Acer japonicum,October gardens,October garden chores,fall colour,The Garden Website.com,Amanda’s Garden Consulting,Amanda Jarrett
Fullmoon maple, Acer japonicum, deciduous tree, zones 5 -7, 20 to 30' tall and wide, sun to part shade.
Chinese witch hazel,Hamamelis mollis,October gardens,October garden chores,fall colour,The Garden Website.com,Amanda’s Garden Consulting,Amanda Jarrett
Chinese witch hazel, Hamamelis mollis, deciduous shrub, zones 5 - 8, 10 to 15' tall and wide, fragrant flowers January to March. Sun to part shade.

ornamental kale,October gardens,October garden chores,fall colour,The Garden Website.com,Amanda’s Garden Consulting,Amanda Jarrett
Ornamental kale, a hardy annual, size of a cabbage, full sun best.
Berberis thunbergii,barberry
Barberry, Berberis thunbergii, a thorny, deciduous shrub, zone 4-8, 3 to 6' tall, 4 to 7' wide, yellow flowers in April to May, full sun.

Staghorn sumac,Rhus typhina 'Laciniata'
Staghorn sumac, Rhus typhina 'Laciniata', deciduous shrub, zone 3-8, 10 to 15' tall and wide. Flowers in July, showy red fuzzy fruit in clusters, sun to part shade. Produces suckers.
Weigela Sonic Boom Red,October gardens,October garden chores,fall colour,The Garden Website.com,Amanda’s Garden Consulting,Amanda Jarrett
Weigela, deciduous shrub, zones 4-8, 6 to 10' x 9 to 12'. Trumpet pink or red flowers April to June, sun to part shade.

Aster,Michaelmas daisy,October gardens,October garden chores,fall flowers,The Garden Website.com,Amanda’s Garden Consulting,Amanda Jarrett
Asters (Michaelmas daisies) are herbaceous perennials, full sun to part shade, zones 4-8, flowers in September through fall, size depend on variety and cultivar, from 1 to 6 feet.
Japanese Stewartia,Stewartia pseudocamellia,October gardens,October garden chores,fall colour,The Garden Website.com,Amanda’s Garden Consulting,Amanda Jarrett
Japanese Stewartia, Stewartia pseudocamellia, a deciduous tree, zone 5-8, 20 to 40' tall, 10 to 25' wide, sun part shade, attractive bark, white camellia-like flowers June to July.

Acer griseum,paperbark maple,October gardens,October garden chores,fall colour,The Garden Website.com,Amanda’s Garden Consulting,Amanda Jarrett
Paperbark maple, Acer griseum, deciduous tree, zones 4-8, 20 to 30' x 15 to 25', sun to part shade, attractive peeling bark.
Persian Ironwood,Parrotia persica,October gardens,October garden chores,fall colour,The Garden Website.com,Amanda’s Garden Consulting,Amanda Jarrett
Persian Ironwood, Parrotia persica, deciduous tree, zones 4-8, 20 to 40' tall to 30' wide, full sun, interesting bark.

Dwarf Winged Burning Bush,Euonymus alatus 'Compactus',October gardens,October garden chores,fall colour,The Garden Website.com,Amanda’s Garden Consulting,Amanda Jarrett
Dwarf Winged Burning Bush, Euonymus alatus 'Compactus', deciduous shrub, zones 4-8, 9 to 10' tall and wide, sun to part shade.
Cornus sericea, red twigged dogwood,October gardens,October garden chores,fall colour,The Garden Website.com,Amanda’s Garden Consulting,Amanda Jarrett
Red twigged dogwood, Cornus sericea, decidous shrub, North America native, zones 3-7, 6 to 9' tall, 7 to 10' wide. Sun to part shade, white flower clusters, May to June. Tolerates moist soil.
Red maple,Acer rubrum,October gardens,October garden chores,fall colour,The Garden Website.com,Amanda’s Garden Consulting,Amanda Jarrett
Red maple, Acer rubrum, deciduous tree, zones 3 -9, 40 to 70' tall, 30 to 50' wide. Indigenous to North America.

October PLANT COMBO

Parthenocissus quincefolia 'Troki',Leycesteria formosa,October gardens,October garden chores,fall colour,The Garden Website.com,Amanda’s Garden Consulting,Amanda Jarrett
The scarlet leaf of the Red Wall Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia 'Troki') provides a rich backdrop for the dangling bead-like seeds clusters of the Himalayan honeysuckle (Leycesteria formosa),

Prepping Gardens for winter

chop and drop,mulch,October gardens,October garden chores,fall colour,The Garden Website.com,Amanda’s Garden Consulting,Amanda Jarrett
Why throw out hydrangea flowers? Chop them up and place around the plant for instant and easy mulch.
  • ​It is not necessary nor beneficial to cut everything back and to clear the soil of all debris.
  • Seed heads from grasses and other late flowering plants provides overwintering birds with food.
  • Cut back garden phlox and other perennials to 6 inches to protect the plant, the soil and its inhabitants.
  • Bees and other beneficial insects overwinter in the hollow stems of many perennials including Autumn Joy sedum, Himalayan honeysuckle (Leycesteria formosa), ornamental grasses so don’t cut them back to the ground.
  • Chop & Drop: Don’t discard those healthy and blemish free perennials leaves and stems. Pile them on top of the plant to provide winter protection. Don’t chop and drop if the plant is diseased or is infested. Always remove and discard peony leaves every fall to prevent Peony Measles (Red Spot, Leaf Blotch).
  • Ornamental Grasses: Save yourself the trouble and don’t cut them back until spring to prevent winterkill and to help feed the birdies over the winter.
  • Don’t rake the beds clean of fallen foliage and other organic debris, unless it’s infected or infested with disease and/or insects as it interferes with soil formation and nature’s natural processes.

Pruning

pruning,October gardens,October garden chores,fall colour,The Garden Website.com,Amanda’s Garden Consulting,Amanda Jarrett
This damaged branch is a safety hazard and should be removed asap.
  • ​It is not necessary nor beneficial to cut everything back and to clear the soil of all debris.
  • Seed heads from grasses and other late flowering plants provides overwintering birds with food.
  • Cut back garden phlox and other perennials to 6 inches to protect the plant, the soil and its inhabitants.
  • Bees and other beneficial insects overwinter in the hollow stems of many perennials including Autumn Joy sedum, Himalayan honeysuckle (Leycesteria formosa), ornamental grasses so don’t cut them back to the ground.
  • Chop & Drop: Don’t discard those healthy and blemish free perennials leaves and stems. Pile them on top of the plant to provide winter protection. Don’t chop and drop if the plant is diseased or is infested. Always remove and discard peony leaves every fall to prevent Peony Measles (Red Spot, Leaf Blotch).
  • Ornamental Grasses: Save yourself the trouble and don’t cut them back until spring to prevent winterkill and to help feed the birdies over the winter.
  • Don’t rake the beds clean of fallen foliage and other organic debris, unless it’s infected or infested with disease and/or insects as it interferes with soil formation and nature’s natural processes.

plant police

codominant stems,included bark,pruning trees,October gardens,October garden chores,fall colour,The Garden Website.com,Amanda’s Garden Consulting,Amanda Jarrett
Trees with codominant stems on a single trunk is often a result from incorrect pruning.
This mimosa has suffered from incorrect training and pruning as a sapling. When the main stem (leader) of a tree is cut, two  new leaders form. These co-dominant stems becomes a weak point where they join. Moisture collects between the squished (included) bark. On this specimen, rot has formed. Its days are numbered as it will soon split in half. So when you buy a single trunk tree, don't cut off its leader. 

Lawn Care

frost lawns,mowing lawns fall,October lawns,October gardens,October garden chores,fall colour,The Garden Website.com,Amanda’s Garden Consulting,Amanda Jarrett
Don't mow frosty lawns as injures the grass crowns.
  • Mow the lawn 2.5 to 3 inches high. Cutting the grass too low diminishes root growth and exposes the plant crowns and soil to the elements and provides a perfect place for weeds and moss to fill in.
  • Keep the clippings on the lawn if they are not too long and they don’t form clumps.
  • Clean up fallen leaves from the lawn by raking them into garden beds or mow the leaves and bag them as you go. Add the cut up leaves to your garden beds as a mulch or put them in your compost pile.
  • If you didn’t fertilize your lawn last month, do so this month with a slow release preferably organic fertilizer formulated for winter. Of the three numbers on the label, the third one (potassium), should be the highest (2-4-6). Avoid using a high nitrogen fertilizer (the first number is highest) as it promotes tender lush growth that is easily damaged by frost.
  • Apply dolopril lime according to the manufacturer’s instructions on mossy lawns and especially if you didn’t apply it last spring.
  • Aerate the lawn if you didn’t do so last spring. Either rent an aerator or hire someone to do the job. Keep the sod 'cores' on the lawn, as they’ll decompose soon enough. You can also and topdress the lawn by applying screened compost or a commercial turf blend.
  • Renovate sparse lawns and install new ones. Remove patches of dead grass and rough up the soil with a rake. Apply bone meal, then sow the grass seeds and press them down firmly with the back of the rake. Keep seeds moist until they germinate then water to keep soil moist not wet.
  • There is still time to put in a new lawn by laying sod or sowing grass seed. 

Prepping for winter

winter plant protection,October gardens,October garden chores,fall colour,The Garden Website.com,Amanda’s Garden Consulting,Amanda Jarrett
Tie up your evergreens so they don't get squashed by heavy snow.
​So this year I promised my globe cypress that I would remember to tie it together before the snow squashes it flat.  I said the same thing to my narrow pyramidal North Pole arborvitae. I have to admit, they did suffer last year – tsk, tsk. Heavy, wet snow not only smashes plants, it breaks their limbs. All you need is some string to wrap around the plant tying it together and to actually do it - argh!
​
Plants are susceptible to cold damage when temperatures fluctuate from warm, sunny days that dip to below freezing at night. The contraction and expansion soil loosens roots dislodging plants. Even a light frost kills tender plants like begonias and tomatoes, however cold hardy plants such as spinach will suffer no ill effects. A little frost is not an issue for the most part, however, prolonged freezing temperatures will injure some perennials, shrubs and trees that are not cold hardy. Protect new plants planted late in the season, and don't allow them to dry out. But most of all, know your hardiness zone and select suitable hardy plants.

Protecting Plants

winter protection Australian tree fern,October gardens,October garden chores,fall colour,The Garden Website.com,Amanda’s Garden Consulting,Amanda Jarrett
This tree fern is protected with cage full of straw at VanDusen Botanical Gardens, BC.
  • Know your growing zone. In the Lower Mainland of BC, we are Zone 8. If you don’t know your hardiness zone, check with your local plant nursery and garden centre. They will also recommend hardy varieties for your area.  
  • Another option is to check the resources online:
    • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardiness_zone
    • https://www.richters.com/show.cgi?page=InfoSheets/NA.html
  • For container plants, select plants one or two hardiness zone lower. So if you live in zone 6, select plants hardy to zone 5 and less.
  • Dry soil reduces plant hardiness and resilience to freezing temperatures. Water plants protected from rain (under eaves and trees) and those in containers, before freezing temperatures take over.
  • Avoid planting new plants and transplanting others too late in the season.
  • Don’t cut back everything in fall as the foliage and stems protect plant crowns and roots.
  • Don’t prune trees and shrubs after September as this promotes new tender growth, which is easily killed by frost.
  • Avoid high nitrogen fertilizers (first number highest) as it promotes lush new leaves that are quickly killed by below freezing temperatures.
  • Winter mulch: Apply a thick lay of mulch (fallen leaves, wood chips) around the bases of evergreen plants.
  • For tall tender plants, such as palms and bananas, form cages out of chicken wire and place the cage around them. Fill the cages with fallen leaves or shredded newspapers.
  • For medium sized plants, wrap them with old sheets, table cloths and/or a few layers burlap. Make sure the fabric touches the ground and all the way to the very tip of the plant.
  • For short tender plants, such as perennials, cover them entirely with a layer of fallen leaves, an organic mulch, or straw.
  • Don’t use plastic to protect plants as it has no insulating value and does not allow the plant to breathe.
  • Here’s a list of some common plants that often succumb to winterkill: new plants, transplants, hybrid teas and other grafted roses, borderline hardy plants: New Zealand flax (Phormium sp.), pineapple lily (Eucomis autumnalis), freesias, palm trees, elephant ear (Colocasia spp.), Australian tree fern (Alsophila australis), bananas, rock rose (Cistus spp.), and lavenders.
Phormium tenax 'Atropurpureum',bronze New Zealand flax,October gardens,October garden chores,fall colour,The Garden Website.com,Amanda’s Garden Consulting,Amanda Jarrett
A New Zealand bronze flax, Phormium tenax 'Atropurpureum', benefits from a winter mulch in hardiness zone 8.

Why Leaves Change Colour

fall leaves,why leaves change colour,October gardens,October garden chores,fall colour,The Garden Website.com,Amanda’s Garden Consulting,Amanda Jarrett
An orange skeletonized grape leaf.
​​Have you have ever wondered why leaves change colour in the fall? How do they know its fall? This splendid rite of autumn, comes about because of the short warm days and long cool nights. Deciduous trees and shrubs prepare for winter by reducing their intake of nutrients and water. They also store food in their stems and roots. This combination of reduced light and no nutrients kills any green pigment (chlorophyll) whilst preventing more from forming. As the green fades, other hidden colours that existed within the foliage are revealed. These pigments, anthocyanin (red) and carotene (yellow) become visible and colourful leaves are revealed. The sunnier the fall, the more vivid the colours.
​
Maples (Acer spp.), ash (Fraxinus spp.), red oak (Quercus rubra), aspen (Populus tremuloides), Persian ironwood (Parrotia persica) and the maidenhair tree (Gingko biloba) are a few of our local vibrantly coloured trees. Colourful shrubs include the burning bush (Cornus alatus), staghorn sumac (Rhus spp.), blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum), Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica), oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia), witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) and fothergilla. Not to be outdone, there are two vines that also colour-up in fall: Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) and Boston ivy (P. tricuspidata).

Storing Dahlias Etc.

storing dahlias,storing summer bulbs,October gardens,October garden chores,fall colour,The Garden Website.com,Amanda’s Garden Consulting,Amanda Jarrett
Dahlias & Summer Bulbs: Dig up and store dahlias, callas, cannas, gladiolus, tuberous begonias and other tender summer bulbs. In Southwest British Columbia, dahlias and callas are often left in the ground since our winters’ are generally mild.  However, I have lost some lovely ones in past years so I usually dig up my dahlias and store them, just to be on the safe side.

​Before storing, let them dry for a couple of days. Remove any diseased and icky stuff, extra soil and place in a cardboard box. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon, cover with peat moss, vermiculite or potting soil. Store in a frost free place. 

October Garden Chores

spring bulbs,October gardens,October garden chores,fall colour,The Garden Website.com,Amanda’s Garden Consulting,Amanda Jarrett
Plant daffodils asap to enjoy their sunny faces in spring.
  • Plant spring flowering bulbs. Wrap tulip bulbs with chicken wire when planting. Dust all bulbs with cinnamon as it is a natural fungicide and sprinkle with bone meal to promote root growth.
  • Winter Bedding Plants: Plant cold hardy bedding plants: winter pansies, primroses, ornamental kale and cyclamen. ​
  • New Beds: Need more garden beds? Now is a good time to prep a new bed so it is ready for spring. Try your hand at sheet mulching also referred to as lasagna gardening, as it is an easy time saver.
  • Perennials: Divide summer and fall flowering perennials if they are overgrown. Replant them in new spots in the garden or plant them in pots to sell or give away in spring.
  • Annuals/Bedding Plants: Remove spent petunias and other bedding plants from garden beds and planters.
  • Collect or Seeds: Keep the seed heads on pansies, hollyhocks, sweet Williams, wall flowers, foxgloves and other biennials. Sow them in other areas of the garden or save them. Store in paper envelopes and don’t forget to label what they are and the year.
  • Cuttings: Take hardwood cuttings from deciduous shrubs and evergreens now through winter and early spring. Select dormant, mature stems that don't bed easily.
  • Weeds:  Weed now for a less weedy spring. Hand weeding gives you instant results visually but do attempt to get all the runners, roots and seed heads. Remove all seed heads and any remaining flowers. For more obnoxious weeds such as horsetail and bindweed, just pull them up, don’t dig them up, don’t disturb the soil as this spreads the little devils even more. Once an area is weeded, prevent more weeds by laying 3 inches of mulch on top of the soil surface.  
  • Compost: Unless your compost bin is hot and reaches 60°C (140°F) for 2 weeks, don’t put in buggy and diseased plants, seedy weeds and invasive plants: bindweed, aegopodium, horsetail. Turn the compost add water if needed and finish it off with 4 to 6 inch layer of fall leaves or shredded newspaper.
weeds,horsetail,October gardens,October garden chores,fall colour,The Garden Website.com,Amanda’s Garden Consulting,Amanda Jarrett
Avoid putting horsetail in the compost and other aggressive weeds.
  • Birds: If you plan on feeding the birds this winter, put out bird seed feeders as well as suet feeders. Birdies need the extra fat in the suet. Make sure you keep the feeders topped up as they will become to depend on your for survival. 
  • Garden Shed: Move fertilizers, seeds and other products to a frost free area over the winter. While you are at it, you might as well give a good clean and tidy. The spiders won’t like it, but come spring, there will be less of them.
  • Outdoor Furniture: Remove patio furniture or cover them but do relocate them to a sheltered location. Place any pillows and soft furnishings indoors to prevent mould.
  • Drains & Eaves: Leaves are everywhere, clogging eaves, storm drains and catch basins. Prevent flooding by removing all those fallen leaves and other debris, especially after heavy rains and storms.  
  • Garden Hose: Once your gardening chores have ended, drain the garden hose, remove the nozzle, and store.
  • Tools: Clean and store all your garden tools in a dry place away from the weather. Sharpen pruning equipment and spray all tools with vegetable oil, such as Pam. 

Containers for fall & wInter

Heuchera 'Lime Marmalade',Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’,Ajuga reptans,Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola',fall containers,all season planters,October gardens,October garden chores,fall colour,The Garden Website.com,Amanda’s Garden Consulting,Amanda Jarrett
A container full of evergreen perennials: bugle weed, creeping jenny, Lime Marmalade coral bells and Japanese forest grass.
A seasonal planter by the front door is always a welcoming sight. It doesn’t take much to convert an existing one left over from summer. Those spent petunias and other annuals are easily replaced with colourful fall gems such as funky, fat, frilly ornamental kales. Add some colourful gourds, a few natty twigs and voila – a lively fall display. For a long lasting, more permanent display consider using perennials. They last for years and many are well suited for container growing. Select evergreen perennials so planters don’t turn bare in the winter.

The round frilly orange, red and pink leaves of the Marmalade coral bells (Heuchera ‘Marmalade’) pair well with yellow and orange chrysanthemums. The strappy cream and green striped leaves of the Evergold Japanese sedge (Carex oshimensis 'Evergold') contrasts nicely with the bold leathery deep green and purplish leaves of the bergenia. Add some winter heather (Erica carnea) for mounds of green foliage and billows of purple, pink and white soft flower spikes.
Tuck in some tulips, daffodils, grape hyacinths, crocus, snowdrops and other spring bulbs to extend the life of the planter even longer. Plus it will be a welcoming sight to see them peak their little heads out late winter and early spring.

​A quick reminder to remove all drainage trays underneath pots so plants don’t become swamped. Planters that can’t handle the winter rain because they just become a sodden mass are best placed in a protected area, such as under eaves or a tree. Do check on them monthly as the soil shouldn’t dry out. 
fall containers,all season planters,October gardens,October garden chores,fall colour,The Garden Website.com,Amanda’s Garden Consulting,Amanda Jarrett
Plant spring bulbs in containers now for a colourful show in spring.

Ban Bad Caterpillars

tree banding,insect barrier,caterpillar barrier,tanglefoot,October gardens,October garden chores,fall colour,The Garden Website.com,Amanda’s Garden Consulting,Amanda Jarrett
Plastic wrap smothered with Tanglefoot, stops crawling insects from infesting susceptible trees.
Stop caterpillars and other climbing insects safely and effectively with ‘tree bands’. Tree banding kits are commonly available where garden products are sold, or make your own. Wrap  Silken threads that dangle from trees are from wee caterpillars that hang from seemingly invisible threads.

Tent caterpillars weave leaves and twigs together. Gypsy moths, canker worms, ants, and tussock moth caterpillars that devour leaves of susceptible trees, especially ornamental Japanese cherry trees, apple trees and other fruit trees.
 
Wrap a 15 centimetre (6 inch) wide band of plastic food wrap (Saran) around tree trunks at a convenient height. Spread Tanglefoot ®, a very sticky Vaseline substance, on the band. Wear rubber gloves and use an old or foam paintbrush, or sturdy stick to spread this sticky, thick goopy stuff. When insects emerge from the soil in spring and climb the trunk, they will become stuck in the sticky trap preventing them from going any further. Remove the bands in spring.
tree banding,insect barrier,caterpillar barrier,tanglefoot,October gardens,October garden chores,fall colour,The Garden Website.com,Amanda’s Garden Consulting,Amanda Jarrett
Tanglefoot really does stop insects in their tracts.

The Veggie Bed

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Torn newspapers make an efficient mulch to protect the soil and cold hardy veg during the winter.
  • Cool Crops: There’s no need to remove cool crops from the garden such as Brussels sprouts, Swiss chard, cabbage, turnips and kale, as they enjoy fall’s cool temperatures. A slight frost actually enhances their taste, so keep on harvesting as long as the plants are producing and tasting good.
  • Harvest remaining veggies and fruit removing all plant debris, especially unhealthy ones from garden beds so as not to re-infect next year’s crops.
  • No naked veggie beds: If you are not using your veggie beds cover them with a thick layer of fallen foliage by raking them from the lawn, use straw or thick layers of newspapers.
  • Cure winter squash: acorn, spaghetti and pumpkins in a warm, frost free location for 4 to 5 days. To prevent mould, wipe them down first with a solution of 1 part bleach to 10 parts water. Store at 10 to 15 C (50 to 60F).
  • Plant garlic now to harvest in July. Select a well-drained sunny site and add some compost, as they are heavy feeders. Break apart the cloves from the bulb and plant them 2 to 3 inches deep and 4 to 6 inches apart.
  • Sow Seeds: Direct seed for winter gardening beets, broad (fava) beans, garlic cloves, radishes, spinach
  • Discard: Insect ridden, diseased veggie plants and any infected, infested debris from the soil. 

What to do with Fallen leaves

leaf mulch,mowing leaves,October gardens,October garden chores,fall colour,The Garden Website.com,Amanda’s Garden Consulting,Amanda Jarrett
Leaves on the lawn? Mow them and bag as you go then place them on garden beds.
Mow them. Set your mower on the highest setting beforehand, bagging them as you go. Dump the bags of shredded leaves on garden beds, compost them or use as a winter mulch by placing them on vulnerable plants.

Mulch them! Raking up autumn leaves from the lawn and garden beds is one of the biggest gripes for most people, but hey, you don’t have to – well not off garden beds anyway. Just rake them from the lawn, and onto the beds.

Improve the Soil! Fallen foliage makes a wonderful nutritional organic mulch. It inhibits weeds (yay!), reduces erosion, insulates the soil and feeds the soil, which in turn, feeds the plants. Don't worry about it being too deep as it should be no less than 3 inches in depth in order to do a good job. Place the leaves on top of the soil around plants, but keep it a few inches away from the tree trunks.

Compost them! If they are free of diseases and insects, place them in your compost as they are perfect for the carbon layer. Other uses for those leaves is to add them to the compost as the carbon layer. You can also use them to make nutritious leaf mould. It is easy to do and improves soil health and fertility. Just place moist leaves in plastic bags and nature will do the rest. Store any extra leaves in paper recycle bags to top up existing mulched bed throughout the year and to add as a brown layer to compost bin. In other words - save those leaves!

​Buggy and Diseased Leaves: If you wish to use them, you can, but don’t place them around the plants mother plant or any other members of the family such as all members of the apply family. Big leaf maples often are covered with powdery mildew by the time autumn comes around. Leaving them on the soil around the maple will further contaminate the soil as the spores will overwinter. They can be placed around other plants as long as they are not maples. 

October Arrangement

October flower arrangement,Michaelmas daisy,hardy fuchsia,Jill pompom dahlia, Bobo hydrangea,Peegee hydrangea,rockspray cotoneaster,autumn crocus,Royal Purple smoke bush
Michaelmas daisy, hardy fuchsia, Jill pompom dahlia, Bobo & Peegee hydrangea, rockspray cotoneaster, autumn crocus and Royal Purple smoke bush

Plant of the month
Virginia Creeper


Parthenocissus quinquefolia,virginia creeper,October gardens,October garden chores,fall colour,The Garden Website.com,Amanda’s Garden Consulting,Amanda Jarrett
Our two cats, Chloe and Cocoa, scampering along the Red Wall Virginia creeper.
Parthenocissus quinquefolia,virginia creeper,October gardens,October garden chores,fall colour,The Garden Website.com,Amanda’s Garden Consulting,Amanda Jarrett
The dark blue fruit and colourful leaves are a show stopper.
Parthenocissus quinquefolia,virginia creeper,October gardens,October garden chores,fall colour,The Garden Website.com,Amanda’s Garden Consulting,Amanda Jarrett
My Red Wall Virginia creeper is just starting to turn colour.
Parthenocissus quinquefolia,virginia creeper,October gardens,October garden chores,fall colour,The Garden Website.com,Amanda’s Garden Consulting,Amanda Jarrett
Virginia creeper looks great draped on the front of this brick house, but it will damage the brick in time.
Parthenocissus quinquefolia,virginia creeper,October gardens,October garden chores,fall colour,The Garden Website.com,Amanda’s Garden Consulting,Amanda Jarrett
Blue berries with red stems last after the foliage has fallen.
Common Name:  Virginia Creeper
Botanical Name: Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Form:   deciduous vine that clings
Family: Vitaceae
Genus: Parthenocissus
Species: quinquefolia
Plant Type:  deciduous vine, liana (woody vine)
Mature Size: 30 to 40 feet
Growth: fast
Origin: Eastern and Central North America to  Mexico
Hardiness Zone: 3 to 9
Foliage: turns bright red in fall, compound with 5 leaflets
Flowers: inconspicuous greenish white clusters
Fruit: deep blue berries on red stems
Exposure: partial shade to full sun
Soil: moist, well-drained soil, water in summer during drought
Uses: privacy screen, arbour, windbreak, wildlife, groundcover
Propagation:  cuttings, layering
Pruning: early summer and winter
​Problems: red spider mite, vine weevil
Cultivars: numerous ones available, all boast vivid fall colours
Comments: This vigorous vine clings to their support with suction cups that are difficult to remove. Grow on trellises, arbours to reduce damage to stucco, brick and wood siding on houses. 

Parthenocissus quinquefolia,virginia creeper,October gardens,October garden chores,fall colour,The Garden Website.com,Amanda’s Garden Consulting,Amanda Jarrett
The lush deep green growth of the Virginia creeper during the summer.
Parthenocissus quinquefolia,virginia creeper,October gardens,October garden chores,fall colour,The Garden Website.com,Amanda’s Garden Consulting,Amanda Jarrett
Virginia creepers attach to their support with suction cups, that are very difficult to remove.
Parthenocissus quinquefolia,virginia creeper,October gardens,October garden chores,fall colour,The Garden Website.com,Amanda’s Garden Consulting,Amanda Jarrett
Virginia creeper in the fall makes a colourful and stunning screen.

Need Help?

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Need help figuring what to do in your garden? Make an appointment for Amanda to come to your garden to show you how to grow food, sow seeds, prune, design beds etc.  Need help trying to figure out how to get the garden ready for spring? Get Amanda to teach you the ropes by making an appointment here. 

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If you are looking for work or if you wish to post a position please go to Job Postings.​

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Learn How to Garden Introduction 
  • Planting Know How
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​Pruning
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Container Growing 101
  • Choosing a Container
Monthly Flower Arrangements
Growing Roses Introduction 
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Mulching & Types Introduction
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Fertilizing & Feeding Plants Introduction
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Propagation Introduction
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​Amanda’s Blog
Plant of the Month

for the tropical Gardener

Ornamental Tropical Shrubs,Pineapple Press,Amanda Jarrett,thegardenwebsite.com
While working in Florida as horticultural consultant, it became apparent that there was a need for a book on tropical shrubs. There are so many wonderful shrubs to choose from, so I wrote a reference book to make the selections easier. Ornamental Tropical Shrubs includes pictures in full colour and information about the plants in point form. So if you live in the tropics and subtropics and need a reference book on tropical shrubs, or you just want to have a look-see click here. 


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