The First Sniff Of Autumn!

Going outside first thing in the morning, even on a bright and sunny morning, there is now that crispness to the air which remains throughout the day - the sun may try hard but it doesn't have the intensity to make it really warm. And come early evening, as the sun drops, it soon becomes nippy. Autumn is well and truly on the way - you can smell it in the air!

With the onset of Autumn comes a time when us gardeners can momentarily relax a little. The pressures of the Summer heat (what little we had this year!) are off, and even the weeds have started to slow down!

Of course there is still much to harvest and enjoy from the vegetable garden - the fresh Autumn crops of Sweetcorn, Turnips, Cabbage, late Peas, late Beans and all sorts; and similarly there is much to look forward to as the pumpkins and squashes start to colour - reminding us of delights yet to come.

As far as fruit is concerned, September and October are the months to enjoy so much. We still have Peaches ripening - but at the same time are picking Apples, Pears, Plums and even the last of the Cherries. Too much fruit to eat now but with careful storage and preserving this will keep us going right through the Winter.

It really is the time to Celebrate the Harvest, and to this end we have decided to have an open day to just that; full information can be found at our Forthcoming Events page. We would love to see as many of our gardening friends as we can, so if you can make it do pop along. And as an added bonus we will be offering some very special discounts across a range of seeds and plants and tools.

So what should we be doing in the garden now? Lots!

There is still plenty that can be planted now so have a look through our vegetable plants section for some inspiration - if its 'Available Now' 'now' is a great time for planting.

Its also time to start planning any fruit plantings. With the ground still warm, now is a perfect time for planting potted fruit which will root out and establish before the onset of Winter. And for open ground grown fruit, remember we're only a few months off lifting - so to ensure you receive your order early help us by placing your order early.

Now is also the perfect time for filling those hungry gaps in your flower borders, and the still warm soil will ensure the plants establish well before the onset of Winter. So spend a little time looking through our Pretty Perennials section.

But most of all, enjoy your garden!

Stephen & Serena Shirley and all The Team at Victoriana