GINA PARKINSON finds that at last she has somewhere to keep her pelargoniums now that colder weather is likely to be arriving sometime soon

AS THE days get shorter it becomes increasingly difficult to get out into the garden and, as leaves fall and perennials fade, it soon begins to feel neglected.

After spending last weekend decorating, I nipped outside as soon as it was light on Monday morning to have a potter and at least feel to have done something towards maintaining the autumn garden.

It was gorgeous, late season hues lit by pink light as the sun rose and filled the garden with warm, low rays. Now into our second autumn in this house it is still a surprise to find such peace despite living by a main commuter road and with the hum of the bypass in the background.

Our house has a conservatory attached to the back overlooking the garden and filled with light. It is too warm for many house plants, but for the first time I have a space for over-wintering pelargoniums which will enjoy the warmth this room will provide in winter.

Last winter, the conservatory was unusable for months, it was just too cold.

So this summer we had it renovated with super-efficient thick double glazing and a new very well insulated roof, together with a couple of radiators.

While the temperatures will still fluctuate, these improvements should reduce the highs and lows and we now have a perfect place for the pelargoniums.

Pelargoniums are forgiving plants. They will put up with neglect, revelling in poor soil and intermittent watering, but one thing they cannot cope with is frost. This turns them black and slimy overnight. and they will never recover.

In the past I have managed to keep a few of the hardier varieties in a sheltered place outside, but the cold we have had over the past two or three winters has put an end to this.

Up until now they have been used for summer pots then composted. This year they have been taken from their large summer home and put into individual smaller pots and brought inside on to a sunny conservatory windowsill.

By this time of year, these plants will be looking a little worse for wear with faded flowers and dying leaves that have responded to lowering temperatures. At the same time, they are busy producing new growth, with tiny leaves dotted up the stalks and tightly closed buds on the end of newly emerging flower stems.

Removing dead foliage and spent flowers, together with a new spot in a warm room, will soon see the pelargoniums respond. Before Christmas they should be covered in blooms once again.

In the veg patch

OVER-WINTERING onion sets and shallots can be planted in October and November. However, if we get another harsh winter like last year the crop may be poor, so keep some sets back for planting in late winter or early spring to replace any losses.

Onions are planted shallowly so the top of the set is just below the surface of the soil. It is best to loosen the earth first so the onion sinks in easily; forcing it in may damage the base which is where the roots will develop. Onions should be rotated, growing them in the same spot may cause a build up of disease which is difficult to eradicate.

After panting they will need to be checked occasionally to make sure they haven’t been pulled up by birds but apart from that nothing much will need to be done during winter.

Weekend catch-up

THERE is nothing like lavender in the summer. The flowers hum with bees on a sunny day and the plant exudes its delicious fragrance when lightly brushed as we pass by.

However, it is a short-lived shrub and after a few years will become woody and unattractive. Now is the time to dig up lavender that has got to this stage and replace it with something else.

It is best not to put another lavender plant in the same spot, so if you are unsure about what to replace it with the area could be planted with spring-flowering bulbs and wallflowers for early colour next year. A different shrub can then be put in place in late spring next year.

Gardening TV and radio

Tomorrow

8am, BBC Radio Humberside, The Great Outdoors. With Blair Jacobs and Doug Stewart.

9am, BBC Radio Leeds, Tim Crowther and Joe Maiden.

2pm, BBC R4, Gardeners’ Question Time. In a grow-your-own themed programme hosted by the Wheatfields Allotment Group, Scunthorpe, chairman Eric Robson is joined by Bob Flowerdew, Bunny Guinness and Matthew Wilson. (Repeated from Friday).

Friday

3pm, BBC R4, Gardeners’ Question Time. Eric Robson is in the chair this week with a postbag edition from Sparsholt College in Hampshire. Members of the panel answer queries sent in by post and email and Kate Bradbury looks at how to protect garden ponds in winter. (Repeated on Sunday at 2pm).

Saturday, November 5

7am, BBC Radio York, Julia Booth. Presenter Julia Booth and gardening expert Nigel Harrison hold their weekly plant surgery.