George Irvine on autumn essentials for Inverclyde gardeners

With the mercury dropping day by day, gardeners are finding it more and more difficult to get out into the garden and do the various tasks that need to be done outdoors.

Greenhouse glass needs to be cleaned both inside and outside to maximise the amount of daylight  getting through the glass each day over the coming months as we approach the shortest day in late December.

Greenhouse glass needs to be cleaned inside and out ahead of winter. (Image: Annie Spratt/Unsplash.com) Speaking with a few gardeners over the past few days, many of them remarked that the leaves seemed to fall from the trees very quickly compared with previous years, and there seems no logical reason for this happening.

Those who have a pond in their garden are well advised to place netting over their pond to prevent falling leaves entering the water, as leaves can cause the water to become toxic. And if you have fish in your pond, then the herons can descend on the water and devour the fish.

In a few weeks from now we will be celebrating Hallowe’en when various forms of disguise are donned and pumpkins are decorated and placed outside our front door as everyone dresses up and parties become the order of the day or even the night.

Plant now for winter and spring colours

Now that all the leaves are gone and the trees are bare, planting wild flowers beneath the trees can bring a bit of colour to the garden.

Seeds can be planted in the ground and  will germinate quite quickly, even during winter months. These wild flowers will provide colour in the garden during the winter months and into early spring and there is not too much attention needed to get them to grow.

There's plenty of variety to choose from when selecting spring bulbs. (Image: Vincent Wachowiak/Unsplash.com) Now is also the time to plant a selection of spring bulbs. They, too, are easy to put into the borders or even put some into containers to bring lots of spring flowers into your garden following the dull and dreich days of winter.

The best thing to do is to study catalogues to select the flowering times which suit your requirements, and there is a great selection to choose from.

Daffodils come in large trumpet types which will no doubt need to be staked once they are in flower around April onwards. Smaller rockery types such as Jet Fire and Tete-a-Tete are good for the front of the border. I have grown these for several years.

When you set out to purchase your bulbs, choose bulbs which are a good size and without any blemishes or rot, and plant them about their own depth in  soil or in containers of  fresh peat-free compost.

If you are intending to plant a lot of bulbs, it is a good idea to get yourself a bulb planter which will not cost you a lot of money. The great thing about growing bulbs is their optimism, their resilience and their transient beauty.

Plant the bulbs relatively close to each other - not too close - but do not leave big spaces between bulbs, except for small bulbs. Bear in mind that small bulbs such as crocuses do need some attention, as mice and squirrels love to burrow down into the soil and eat the bulbs.

There is one way that you can prevent this happening and that is by sprinkling grated soap on the soil above where you have planted your bulbs. This will deter these pests.

Be careful when you are walking over the beds that you do not trample over the bulbs as they emerge through the soil. Take care and be alert when going about the garden.

Tulips shouldn't be planted before November to guard against 'tulip fire'. (Image: Haci Elmas/Unsplash.com) If you are growing bulbs such as daffodils in large containers or barrels, you can create layers of bulbs by planting bulbs on top of each other and they will flower for a long spell in the spring. Alternatively, you can introduce different types of bulbs in layers in a large tub to give a variety of colour.

One important factor is that you should not plant tulips before November. Planting too early can cause 'tulip fire', a disease which can cause the flowers to die and can also spread to the soil. The disease is long-lasting and if it takes hold will mean you cannot grow tulips in that spot for many years.

Blooms for winter

Pansies are popular flowers almost all year round and winter pansies are most popular during winter and in the first couple of months of the new year. All you need to do is to keep dead-heading spent flowers. 

Primula and also other members of that family are also useful for early flowering spring colour.

Get your garden winter ready

Cover up all your garden furniture with strong polythene sheeting for winter protection and make sure most tools are cleaned and stored away for the winter.

The same applies to machinery, such as lawnmowers, before it's put away until spring.

Keep some bags of rock salt to hand and spread them over paths and stairs and even on driveways in the coldest weather. However, be careful, as rock salt will damage or kill any plants in which it may come in contact with.

Rock salt will keep your garden paths safe - but keep it away from plants. (Image: Peter Little) Lawns can become quite waterlogged at times; the best remedy is to spike the lawn with a hollow-tined tool or use a fork, digging about four to six inches deep. After doing this, brush some sharp sand into the holes you have made.

Keep an eye on the grass from time to time and repeat spiking if water accumulates over the winter months.

Clean out water butts and cover the opening to prevent gunge entering the water and contaminating it.