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In September Carol opens her garden to the public for the National Gardens Scheme. Preparing for the day takes time but Carol finds sharing her garden hugely rewarding. The National Gardens Scheme (The Yellow Book Scheme) was founded in 1927.Ìý

Every year NGS gardens across England and Wales welcome over half a million visitors to over 3,700 gardens, many of which are privately owned. In the past ten years NGS open days have raised over £25 million for charity.

Harvest time is not just about gathering in the last of the beans, onions, and apples. It is also about saving those tiny little time capsules that will provide us with our next generation of young plants.

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Seed collecting in Carol’s garden is ongoing; it starts in summer with the early flowerers like aquilegia and pulsatilla. But it is at this time of year that the garden produces seeds in abundance. Some seed can be stored in a cool dry place to be sown next spring and others can be sown straight away.

Autumn is the time when Carol’s garden takes on its autumnal hues. The leaves on her Cercidiphyllum turn russet then gold and the Acer becomes a mass of scarlet confetti.Ìý

Autumn is a good time for planting shrubs, and selecting a shrub specifically for its autumn colour will always enhance a garden. Equally, spring is a good time for planting, so if you still have a voucher left over from Christmas, go treat yourself, and look forward to the colours next autumn will bring.

Making a leafmould pile in the autumn will provide Carol with a rich soil improver and top dressing for her beds.Ìý

Leafmould can also be mixed with equal parts sharp sand and used as potting compost. Whether you choose to store your leaves in open wire bays or in pierced bin bags, the result will be ‘gardening gold’ and what’s more, it is all for free.

Carol adores tulips but her soil conditions are not ideal; she has heavy slightly acidic clay, so she grows hers in pots. Not only do they grow strongly but they can also be placed around the garden just as they come into bloom. Carol likes to make her own potting mix that is equal parts multi-purpose and loam, with a good helping of grit added to improve drainage.Ìý

If you have ordered your tulips but have not got around to getting them in the ground, then as soon as the soil allows, pop them in. As spring gets underway they will soon catch up and be in full bloom come spring.

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