Hello! Hasn’t it been unseasonably warm of late? It has brought the benefit of being able to move plants like shrub roses and herbaceous perennials late in the year.
It is Tulip planting season! The earlier you get them into the ground the earlier they will flower, although if you are too busy this month you can plant them right up until Christmas. You need to make sure that they have good drainage and that you plant them as deep as possible, around 12 inches, as the deeper they are the stronger and straighter the stem will be. To enjoy the Tulip season for as long as possible, plant a range of early, mid-season and late-season varieties.
If you plant Paperwhite Daffodils now, they will flower in time for Christmas, if you keep them warm indoors. Plant the bulbs just beneath the surface of compost then keep them in a warm, light place and keep them watered, but not soggy. They normally take around 4 weeks to flower, so if you would like to delay this keep them cool but, in a frost-free environment.
Provide food for birds that is as calorific as possible, such as seeds, nuts and fat. Try to supply this in a hanging feeder, so that tits can land on them without being bullied away by larger aggressive birds. Once you start to feed them, make sure you feed them regularly, as the birds need to know where their source of food is for the winter without having to use precious energy to find others if you leave it bare. Also ensure that you leave a fresh supply of water and check that it has not frozen over.
Willie the Worm
