It's that man with his b*****n gardening tips again!!

[Gardenman]

Hello again. It's a funny old summer isn't it? I hope you're enjoying your holidays & your gardens. It's been a bit difficult keeping on top of them with the sunshine & the rain. One of my gardens turned into a jungle while the customers were away for just a month! But then again, they do have a a lot of Bamboo!!

Back to the plot:

1. Pruning. Give your lavender a haircut back to the hardwood if it has finished flowering. If you don't, it will get leggy & fall over. Likewise Hebes need a trim too to keep their shape. Give hedges a good cut, should be the last of the year, but who knows with this weather? Dead head flowers & collect seeds in paper bags & store somewhere dark & dry. Prune back Pyracantha for a good show of colour this winter.

Cut back Raspberry canes to around a foot 30cms off the ground & pot up Strawberry runners for next season.

Time for the second pruning of your Wisteria this year to encourage flowering. Cut back softer stems to 3-5 buds from the main branches. Thin out the whole plant to allow air to circulate through it.

2. Lawns. Mow lawns lightly & often, lifting the blades if this weather continues. Give a light feed if your lawn is a little patchy & for those of you with dogs, especially female ones, water in when you let them out for a pee

3. Plants. Good time to sow hardy annuals, they will bed in over winter & flower in the summer. Attend to hanging baskets, feed them & perennials with liquid tomato feed for continued flowering. Cut back foliage & stems of herbaceous plants that have stopped flowering. Cut back leaves of hardy Geraniums for increased flowering.

Dead head Roses & cut off any black spot leaves & clear any off the floor & burn. They are fungal & will continue to infect if left. Prune & lightly feed climbing & rambling Roses.

Ponds & water features. Remove blanket weed, & aerate ponds with a hose. Clear leaves, debris & algae

Pests, pesticides & their problems. Please do not use slug & snail pellets, they kill the slugs & snails, but then they kill the birds that eat them. Be sure to use pesticides & feeds that are not harmful to children & pets.

Fruits. Time to start picking fruits & berries. This is a lovely thing to do, especially with children. I've noticed that this funny summer has brought a bumper crop, so please take advantage of this abundance & do one of the most enjoyable things you can do in your garden. If you don't have time ( one of the major drawbacks of modern living!) please let someone get some enjoyment out of doing it for you.

As always, if you don't have the time or inclination to do these jobs your selves, get one of the well recommended gardeners from the forum to do it for you. That's what we're here for. We seem to be running into a period again when people are looking for work & saying they are gardeners. Please check they know what they are doing before you let them loose on your pride & joy!! Cheapest is not & never has been best.

Make good use & enjoy your gardens at this time of year, they are our connection with nature in this busy city of ours & when enjoyed, they become a wonderful resource for rest, play, contemplation & meditation.

We are starting to get busy again after a stop start summer, but feel free to get in touch with any questions you may have or projects you would like a design or quote for. Always get at least a couple of quotes to guide you & give you more ideas. Happy gardening, Happy holidays

Nigel

Exterior Design Gardens

9 Sunderland Court

SE22

07961888253

[Gardenman]

Forgot to say, bulbs are now in the shops. Lovely weekend to get out in the garden instead of joining the queues on the road & bring some wonderful spring colour to your gardens next year.

If you need to buy/order any plants, trees & shrubs, you can pop along to my new shop in Church road Crystal Palace & enjoy the farmers market & interesting shops nearby. Also they have the motor racing in the park nearby. A great day out in a beautiful park

Have a great weekend

[Help-Ma-Boab]

When's best to cut back an apple tree? Thanks.

[Gardenman]

Best to cut back apple trees in winter when the saps not rising around December/January time. All fruit trees need good air circulation through the middle of the tree, so cut any touching or crossover branches, cutting back to the main branch or trunk. Make your cuts downward facing & paint the exposed cuts with pruning paint to avoid disease getting in.

We have a couple of projects on just now, but have plenty of time after that for work, designs,decks, lawns patios, fences, water features, & low maintenance gardens. Give me a call for a free survey & quote

Nigel

[Waffo]

Nigel came to give my garden a good old tidy up before Autumn really sets in. He did a really good job and jet washed my patio so that it looks as good as new.

Would very much recommend him and use him again.

[Gardenman]

Oh thanks Waffo, it was a pleasure. More gardening tips to come. You've been warned !!

[andrew201]

Nigel and his team came this week and completely rejuvinated our garden before winter. Nigel was full of suggestions for how the garden could be improved and it all looks so much better (and much more colourful!) now. Lots of useful tips for how the garden should be maintained in future as well.

Big recommendation. Thanks Nigel!

[Help-Ma-Boab]

Just seen reply. Thanks for taking time and for info

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> Best to cut back apple trees in winter when the

> saps not rising around December/January time. All

> fruit trees need good air circulation through the

> middle of the tree, so cut any touching or

> crossover branches, cutting back to the main

> branch or trunk. Make your cuts downward facing &

> paint the exposed cuts with pruning paint to avoid

> disease getting in.

> We have a couple of projects on just now, but have

> plenty of time after that for work, designs,decks,

> lawns patios, fences, water features, & low

> maintenance gardens. Give me a call for a free

> survey & quote

> Nigel

[ljrodgers]

Hello! Would you have time to come round and give my garden a jolly good tidy up for the autumn, sometime over the next week or two? Phone number is 07715375133 - Louise!

Thank you.

[Gardenman]

Hi Louise, I would be happy to give your garden a good going over, I'll give you a call later today.

And thank you Boab & Andrew, you are very welcome