Well did we have a wet summer or what?

I tried to juggle my clients around and fit everyone in around the days that were dry.  However I must admit I did have to play catch up a bit with some gardens as some days were impossible to get any work done at all.  Here some jobs for us to get done before the next lot of rain decides to fall. 

• Rambling and climbing roses - should be pruned back to the ground or to the next healthy growth.  Make sure you wear protective glasses and a good pair of gloves (especially for roses), as the thorns are almost impossible to miss.
• Standard roses should be pruned to healthy growth.  To achieve this; take a clean sharp pair of secateurs and make a clean cut, just above a outward facing bud, the cut should be at an angle so that rain water will run off, this will help prevent any diseases setting in. 
• To ensure that your all your roses stay healthy, prune out all damaged, dead and diseased stems and feed them regularly in the growing season.  Also watch out for pests and diseases and act quickly to prevent more damage.
• Its time to heighten your lawn mower so that the blade just takes of the top of the grass. 
• Before winter sets in its a good time to take up those non hardy perennial plants, put them in a pot with a layer fresh compost and place them in the green house. 
• This is a good time to take your cuttings of pelargoniums and place them in the green house ready for next year.
• Its important to keep turning your compost heaps, as the next season it will be time for you to cover flower beds and borders with a lovely layer of compost to help keep the ground warm while adding a layer of nutrients for the spring bulbs.  The compost is ready when all the ingredients have decomposed and the compost is crumbly.