PARISH & COMMUNITY NEWS - Cotton Parish

Just Gardening
Parish and Community News October 2012
IN THE GARDEN
If you had a glut of tomatoes this season try making some tomato
ketchup. You'll find a recipe in a good cook book. Or the more culinary
gifted you are try making some tomato chutney.
If you have an allotment garden you've probably lifted the last of your
potato crop. Having completed this task, just leave the soil roughly turned
over in large clods of earth. The soil will over winter. Kindly old Jack Frost
will do his work for us along with the winter rain which will break down
the soil into a fine tilth. This is particularly good for heavy clay soil but not
so important on sandy soil.
Don't forget to continue dead-heading your flower beds you may just
encourage a late flush of flowers. By removing the spent flower heads of
perennial plants you should see flowers right through to the first heavy
frost. The plants are tricked into producing more flowers in order to
reproduce more seed. Also, by dead-heading your flowers, pay attention to
the flower borders as well and this will improve the general appearance of
your flower beds at this time of the year.
Now is the time to start thinking about planting next years spring display
of bulbs. There is a huge choice in Nurseries and in specialist grower
catalogues. Along with Daffodils and Narcissus try a deep red Tulip
planted in a bed of multi-coloured wallflowers.
The weather has just started turning colder, leaves are beginning to drop,
we've not had much of a summer this year so it wouldn't be a surprise to
me if we have an early Autumn. So when the leaves start dropping on your
lawn just pick them up in small quantities to start, it will make the bigger
job seem a little smaller. Don't leave the debris on your lawn as this will
encourage disease and dead patches on the grass.
If you want some Christmas Colour place three Hyacinth bulbs in a terra-
cotta pot, close together but not touching, cover with a multi- purpose
compost, leaving the tips of the bulbs just showing above the surface.
Place in a cold frame outside, when the green shoots appear take them
inside and enjoy the flowers.
Happy Gardening............Norman Parcell
ALLOTMENTS
Anyone who would like to rent an allotment please contact
Ray Bartrum 0n 01449 781526
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