October in the Garden 

The garden is now fully embracing its Autumn colours. Seed heads and ornamental grasses are glowing in shades of bronze and rust, while the birds are feasting on the giant sunflower heads left standing in the vegetable beds. This month, our main jobs include collecting seeds, tidying the borders, harvesting the last of the fruit and vegetables, pruning the climbing roses and plums, and dividing perennials. The Nerines and Dahlias are still putting on a fabulous show, adding bright splashes of colour. Meanwhile, our Hedychium trial is delighting us all – several plants are thriving and flowering again and again, proving the doubters wrong! 

Over at the Apple Shed Pantry, you’ll currently find potatoes, carrots and patty pan squash fresh from the kitchen garden. Our runner beans – always a favourite – will be available for just a little longer, so snap them up while you can. 

As the garden seems to slow down, the garden team are ramping up. October / November is plum pruning time. Here in the Scottish Borders, we leave this job until later in the year (unlike further south where pruning happens earlier). We remove any dead, crossing or diseased branches, cut back leaders to stop them shooting above the wall, and thin out overcrowded stems. Each stem is tied in carefully to maintain the fan shape – the end result is always very satisfying to see. This year’s plum harvest wasn’t as abundant as last year, so we’ll be giving the trees some extra TLC in the form of feed and a good layer of compost around the roots to boost them for next season. 

We’re also beginning the pruning of the wall roses. The ramblers and climbers will be tackled toward the end of the month, while shrub roses and those on chains will be left until they are fully dormant later in the year for a harder prune. A warm welcome goes to Dennis McCance, who joined the team in September from Logan Botanic Garden. Dennis has already made a big impact, and we’re delighted to have him on board. 

Clearing of the herbaceous borders has begun. While we leave the plants with attractive seedheads to provide Winter interest and food for wildlife, anything slimy or rotting is removed to maintain good garden hygiene. We’ve also lifted and divided our Benton Irises – a limited number are now available for sale, so do pop by soon if you’d like to take one home! 

Although the bright summer blooms are fading, there is still so much beauty to enjoy in the Autumn garden. We’re here as always to answer questions and share what we’re working on. Entry is now via the Terrace Café at a reduced price of £3, and we look forward to welcoming you soon!