I expect we have all been asking each other if we have remembered to put the clocks back which really makes the feeling that winter is on its way when it’s dark soon after tea time. The garden itself doesn’t actually need a clock and neither does it respond totally to the shorter days.
Mushrooms continue to pop up all over the place and the potatoes planted just a couple of weeks ago are already showing a fair amount of new growth. Don’t let the potatoes grow too tall without building up the soil a little around them, they of course need the dark to form the new potatoes and as yet we have no fear of frost that could damage the green shoots then we are well away.
There are still a few green vegetables that can be planted such as Peas and Broad beans, Garlic showing green shoots in the vegetable rack can always be popped into the ground that really seems to like being planted up during the autumn/winter months.
There is still time to be pruning fruit trees and the grape vine although that can be left until the last because a sudden warm spell during the winter may encourage the vine to pop out early growth that can easily be burnt off by a sudden frost or cold snap during the winter months.
We do frequently speak of all year round gardening but there are a few days of really cold weather from time to time or even snow at sea level as there was in 1985, I still have the photos of snow in my garden and on the orange tree. Also on the areas in the centre of the island the farmers are well prepared with their sprinklers which they will leave on all night to help keep the air frost off their young vulnerable crops. Oh dear, what am I doing writing about the cold when the garden is still full of lush new growth!!! The weather can be unpredictable so it is best to be prepared for the worst even though it is rarely that bad in Mallorca.
There are still a few Roses in full bloom so I am reluctant to fully cut them back yet awhile, although my gardening books tell me new ones can be planted up now, always assuming they have a little shelter from the winter winds.
It looks like we are scratching around looking for jobs to do, constantly sweeping up the falling leaves, just looking up into the trees we know that every leaf will be falling down sooner or later.
Some leaves do well on the compost, this is one little job that could well be looked into now, that of turning the compost so that all the well rotted and mature compost can be used in plant pots or even a good top dressing along with a little fertilizer which will then be easily washed down into the roots when it rains.
I hate the thought of cutting back any climbing or trailing plant that is still in flower, Lantana, Buddleia/Butterfly bush, Bougainvilles, Datura seem to pop out flowers at any time and the Epiphyllum cactus could well still produce just a couple of their late night scented flowers. It is all a matter of enjoying all that we have planted up and mature enough to need that drastic cutting back when the time comes.
The long trailing climbing plants such as Bignonia, Honeysuckle and Passion flower will really need cutting back even in some cases, completely pulled up before they take over, some gardeners consider it ‘over exuberant’.
Nearly all of these shrubs and climbers I have just mentioned take root easily from cuttings or simply putting roots down where a trailing piece touches the ground so never fear once you have them in the garden you will never be without them and have plenty bits to give away but be sure to warn whoever you give it to that they will soon be ‘taken over’. But it is still a lovely way to be ‘taken over’ and full of colour still now into the autumn.