Hyacinths

Autumn to Winter

November 3, 2023 by beautifybalham

October has now ended, taking with it the last of the summer’s heat.
With the change of seasons comes a different set of needs for our gardens.
Autumn is the perfect time to tidy up before the really cold weather sets in. As plants and grass begin to slow their growth, it’s a good time to have a clear up in the garden.

Mulch and Mush

Cut back plants that have turned brown and mushy, but maybe leave some of the more interesting seed heads for the birds and to add interest to the borders architecturally.
If you have a lawn, it’s better to avoid cutting it. Aerate the lawn with a fork then rake up leaves as they fall and use them for mulch on your flower beds, or you can also gather up the leaves and place them in black plastic sacks. Tie up the bag and make holes with a fork before storing them behind a shed or out of sight. Wait until the Spring when they will have mulched down, ready to spread around trees and shrubs.

Indoor flowers

Prepare indoor bulbs for flowering at Christmas. Hyacinths and daffodils can be forced during the winter months. You can find bulbs on sale now in garden centres and nurseries. Prepare a pot with holes in the bottom and cover with a few crocks. Mix some compost with grit and fill the pot half way up. Place the bulbs on top then cover with more compost and water slightly. Place in a dark cupboard and check for new growth. Water if dry. Bring them out into the light onto a window sill when shoots are about 5 cm, then enjoy watching them grow and flower in your home.

More things to do this week…

Deadhead flowers that are continuing to bloom
Collect seeds and store in paper envelopes or bags and label. Store in a dry place until Spring
Prune branches on trees and shrubs that have died back or are in the way. Cut back to a healthy side branch
Divide deciduous shrubs by cutting back foliage, forking roots apart and replanting elsewhere
Plant bulbs: daffodils, crocus, iris reticulata, muscari (grape hyacinth) and scillas in window boxes and in the garden. Tulips can be planted now too or well into November or December.

Oh yes, and don’t forget to feed the birds! Seeds, berries and suet balls will be appreciated and a lovely way to light up a gloomy day watching from your window!

Enjoy your Autumn and Winter gardening! Please send your seasonal gardening tips to us at hello@beautifybalham.org or tag us in on social media through @BeautifyBalham!

Summer Flowering Bulbs and Annual Seeds

March 2, 2022 by beautifybalham

March is the harbinger of spring.

We notice signs of life in our flower beds, tree pits and on the commons. Snowdrops first (see some beautiful examples of snowdrops growing in RHS Gardens here), then winter aconites, anemones, celandines, daffodils, crocuses, bluebells, and finally the tulips. But if, like me, you enjoy a successful spring garden before it all goes rather quiet, you may need some help on how to bridge this next season into summer (as I often do)!

The answer is to plant summer flowering bulbs, and also the very versatile and
economical annuals sown as seeds. Make the most of what you have. As Clare Gogerty writes in the Observer Gardening Special, ‘Limited outside space needn‘t stop you growing an impressive display of flowers and edibles’, so think creative and get growing!

Summer bulbs such as agapanthus, begonias, gladioli, dahlias, crocosmia, lilies and ranunculus all put on a good show. Most of them enjoy the sun at some part of the day, but they can be planted in pots to move around the garden, or placed on a balcony.

As Balham in Bloom takes place in late June, here are some other tips to get your
gardens, hanging baskets and window boxes blooming in time for the event:

Sow some wildflower seeds – which are readily available online or in garden centres. Seeds that are easy, and which children will enjoy planting, are candy tuft, nasturtium, marigolds and cosmos. These can grow quite tall, so allow room if they are in open ground. Love-in-the
mist (Nigella) and poppies are easy too, and give a great splash of colour just when you need it. Seed catalogues are in abundance now, and can be found in the local shops in Balham and Tooting: Poundshops, Wilkos, Lidl and Aldi. They all stock seeds that are cheap and easy to grow. You can also read about some more unusual seeds in Capital Gardens’ latest blog post (and visit them at Neal’s Nurseries)!

Window boxes sown with wildflower seeds!

Cosmos with a bee! — Window boxes sown with wildflower seeds!

Vegetable seeds are also readily available, and exciting too – including runner and
dwarf beans, courgettes, radishes, lettuces, ‘cut and come again’ salad
leaves, spring onions, tomatoes and chillies. Planted together with flowering plants they make a really good show, and are edible as a bonus! SimplySeed.co.uk has a great selection of vegetable seeds available.

So, get the soil ready by digging over, add extra compost (peat-free!) and some gravel for drainage if you can. Sow according to the instructions on the packet and wait. Keep watered if dry, and place on a sunny window sill to start them off or in a propagator if you have one. Label them or get the children to make their own labels and decorate them (wooden lolly sticks and plant labels are better than plastic)! Try to recycle old plant pots rather than buying new ones, or use empty containers that you are throwing out with a few drainage holes in the base. Enjoy being creative and foster the love of gardening with your children so they will grow up respecting nature and know how their food is grown.

Once you’ve cultivated some beautiful plants, enter Balham in Bloom 2022 with your front gardens, communal gardens, window boxes or hanging baskets! Last entries are on Sunday 29th May, for the presentation which takes place on Saturday 25th June. You can visit https://beautifybalham.org/balham-in-bloom/ for more information. It’s free to enter!
Please send any queries to hello@beautifybalham.org and we will be happy to answer them.

– Jean Millar and the Beautify Balham Team

If you want to write to us and have your own blog post & thoughts placed on this website to help others, please reach out to us via our Contact Us page!

Planting in Autumn: Now is the Perfect Time for Bulbs

October 7, 2021 by beautifybalham

Autumn is officially here and sadly the days are quickly getting shorter. With the recent downpour the ground is wet and perfect for bulb planting. Planting now is ideal as it will allow the bulbs to take root and establish themselves before the winter.

Plant now to make the most of the seasons

There are certain plants which thrive when planted during these months. You can grow daffodils, hyacinths and alliums, which are all due to be planted in September and October. Tulips should be planted from late October to early December, so hold off a little while longer for them. To ensure the bulbs grow back year after year, be sure to plant the bulbs deeply in the ground or pot – preferably twice the depth of the bulb.

Gardening in Balham over Autumn can produce great flowers. Here is what we’d recommend to get the most out of your bulbs:

Dig a hole or trench, and spread a thin layer of compost over the bottom
Push the bulbs in the base of the hole, pointy end up, and leave a gap of about 3 times the bulb’s width between each bulb
Cover them with compost (peat free of course!)
After planting, pat the soil down with your hand to avoid air pockets, and water them a little

If you’re worried about squirrels digging the bulbs up, you can always sprinkle some pepper or chilli flakes over the soil. It will deter the squirrels without harming them. Laying chicken wire over the pots or planted areas is also an option.

If you decide to plant your bulbs in pots, follow the same depth principles as when they are grown in the ground. It may be more of a challenge for bigger bulbs.

Be sure to plant alliums, hyacinths and tulips in full sun and in well drained soil. Daffodils are happy in the sun but will also thrive in partial shade.

Happy planting! Feel free to comment with your own planting experiences, or share your tips and photos with us on social media with the hashtag: #BeautifyBalham

– Justine and the Beautify Balham Team

If you want to write to us and have your own blog post & thoughts placed on this website to help others, please reach out to us via our Contact Us page!