November News from Galloway Flowers

​ I went away for a week in late October in what felt like early Autumn, hundreds of Dahlias blooming… & returned to what felt like another season. The frosts last weekend were hard, blackening all those blooms overnight. So now we’re on to the end of season tasks – clearing, composting & covering the beds with a thick layer of compost. Just digging up & storing 600 dahlia plants is going to take a while!

  But of course the end of one season is the beginning of another – so we’re busy planting out too. Most of the Narcissi, Ranunculus & Anemones, so lovely in bouquets from mid-March onwards, are now planted. This month we start planting Tulips. By choosing varieties & planting in different places we can usually cut these for at least 2 months. We leave it until November or even early December to plant Tulips as they’re less likely to develop a nasty disease called ‘Tulip Fire’ if planted later.
 
  It’s dark just after 5pm now, so we’re having to organise differently. It never fails to astonish me how quickly the light fades away. Dogs have to be walked earlier or I miss out on valuable ‘thinking time’. The evenings are filled with preparing for the Christmas season – mossing up wreaths, wiring cones & ribbon so these are ready to assemble next month.

  The closing of the flower season means the end of our local bouquet deliveryservice for a while. There are still some flowers of course (especially the garden pinks, chrysanthemums & berries) so I can still make up our regular orders & funeral flowers when required. And by mid-December I’ll have flowers from British growers further south so bouquets will be available to order for Christmas.

  The ‘Make Your Own Christmas Wreath’ Workshop at the CatStrand Arts Centre, New Galloway on 11th December is filling so book your place soon if you’re planning to come. This is always a fun afternoon with heaps of lovely foliage & festive trimmings to make every wreath unique. And of course a natural wreath is made without floral foam. This workshop always starts my Christmas season off! Book here

  And Wreaths are going to keep me busy in the coming weeks – I’ll be at the CatStrand Christmas Fair, New Galloway on Saturday November 24th & Kirkcudbright Farmers Market on Sunday 25th November. Wreaths & Christmas flowers can be ordered & I'll bring lots of cards & Narcissi from the Scilly Isles too.
  
  Take the chances of bright weather to enjoy the fresh air, kick up a few leaves & forage for your own natural decorations such as a gorgeous leaf, berries & cones. I cannot resist - my kitchen window sill is beginning to look like the school 'nature table' at the moment!

Jobs for the Cutting Garden in November;

• Clear any annual flowers that have been clinging on (such as my Rudbeckia above). They’ll not produce many more quality blooms now & the space can be put to better use with spring bulbs.
• If you have Dahlias to protect, dig them up now they’ve been blackened by frost. Cut off all the mushy stems & remove as much soil as possible, dry upside down. Store in a frost free place. Further south you might be able to keep them in the ground over winter, covered with a thick layer of compost. But I don’t want to risk losing my beauties…
• Rake up the leaves for some good exercise – it gets your heart pumping & so much more fun than the gym! Pile it high & let it break down slowly – it makes an excellent leaf mould, perfect for conditioning the soil in 12-18 months time. If you haven’t a compost bin, put leaves in a black binbag with plenty of holes pierced for ventilation & store in a corner out of the way. It’ll break down just the same.
• Protect any garden pots not guaranteed ‘frost free’. Wrap or bring indoors to prevent cracking in the frost.
• Tidy around perennial & shrubs – remove fallen leaves to prevent them becoming a safe haven for slugs & snails. Collect fallen rose leaves & put these in the rubbish NOT your compost to avoid a build up of diseases such as black spot & rust
• If you’re lucky enough to have a Holly bush with plenty of berries, cut some this month. Stand in buckets of water in a cool place (eg garage). The berries keep well for your Christmas decorations. If you leave it until next month the birds might have stripped the berries!
• On a bright day, give your greenhouse or polytunnel (if you have one) a clean. Brush down the cobwebs, & the floor. Wash the glass to allow maximum light to reach any plants or seedlings overwintering in there.
• And for some flowery inspiration from a real wedding, here's a Link to a Green & White early Summer Wedding

Until next time, 
Rosie Gray
Galloway Flowers