This Month in Your Garden - October

‘The winds give me enough fallen leaves to make a fire.’ Ryokan Taigu

The Fall is the more than apt description for autumn’s annual leaf deposit and there are many parts of our island that rival New England’s spectacularly colourful display. After the great show, we do of course have the task of clearing up and adding all those leaves to the compost or filling plastic sacks to make leaf mould. 

The Lawncare Guide - October

Turf and tea time

Conditions should be about right for laying turf this month to give the grass a good start while the ground is still relatively warm. In an area you have prepared, during August and September, lay turves in a staggered pattern like bricks to avoid leaving any gaps. 

Lawn Care: Questions & Answers

Q. We have a large number of grass paths between borders, about three feet wide. Have you any advice on how to treat them? 

The Vegetable Plot - October

 Gimme shelter (or leave no stone unturned)

There is a surprising number of crops you can grow now if you have a sheltered area in the vegetable patch. You can get an early crop of peas by sowing overwintering cultivars under cloches for protection. 

The Big Glut Recipe - October

Pumpkin soup with Gruyere and fried sage

By Sally Clarke for House and Garden

Enough for 4 – 6 people for lunch and you can add other ingredients such as roasted wild mushrooms.

Ingredients

For the stuffed pumpkin

• 1 x 2kg ironbark, blue hubbard or onion squash, or similar pumpkin
• 300ml double cream, plus a little extra if needed
• 50ml vegetable or chicken stock
• 1tbsp finely chopped sage
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed with salt
• 100g Gruyère or Cheddar