Garden jobs
The garden in October.
Five jobs a month, written on a north-facing hill above the Rhymney valley, where the last frost can come in late May. With what we have in stock to go with them.
Plant bulbs, and collect leaves
- Plant tulips last of all; they can wait until November if you are busy.
- Rake leaves into a wire cage or a bin bag with holes in it.
- Lift and store dahlias once the frost has blackened the tops, or mulch them deeply.
- Put pots on feet and move the tender ones under cover.
- Cut back perennials that have collapsed, and leave the seed heads that still stand.
About the jobs
Why does your last frost date say the end of May?
Because we are at about 150 metres on a north-facing slope. The Vale of Glamorgan can plant out two or three weeks before us; the heads of the valleys are often a week after.
Is this list everything?
No, just five jobs we think matter most. If you only have an hour this month, do the first one.
Are the stock lists live?
They are what we normally have in that month. Ring first if you are coming a long way for one plant.
Open every day but three, on the hill above Bedwas.
Bring a photograph of the bed or a leaf in a sandwich bag. Free parking for sixty cars, soup in the lean-to and a van for anything that will not fit in yours.