Rolling Hills Garden Center The Village Gallery Florist & Gift Shoppe
Voted Best Garden Center and Florist in Person County
Listen! The wind is rising,
And the air is wild with leaves,
We have had our summer evenings,
Now for October eves!
—Humbert Wolfe (1885-1940)
October is the first month of autumn.
Leaves that changed earlier are beginning to fall and no matter how hot the days, there is a chill after dark. Pumpkins take the center stage and in carved out shapes cast shadows on All Hallows Eve. Days are shorter, and nights are longer with a smell of smoke in the air from fireplaces or burning leaves. The end of October brings many peoples favorite holiday of Halloween. An excuse for grown-ups and kids to dress in costumes and wander through streets, malls, haunted houses, bars, or whatever function is age appropriate. Once the end of October signaled the turn to thoughts of Thanksgiving, but now even some carved jack o' lanterns are held by Santa rushing the season.
Gardening in October
Other than raking leaves other garden tasks for October include:
- Get your soil tested and add elements as needed
- Amend your soil with a dressing of compost
- Turn your compost if you have one
- Use your garden debris and leaves to start a new compost pile.
- Plant trees and shrubs them well-watered, even through the winter (snow permitting).
- Make sure all houseplants are brought back after checking for insects
- Plant cool season annual such as pansies and flowering kale
- Clear away dead foliage.
- Dry and seeds from annuals and perennials
- Harvest and freeze herbs for winter use.
- Remove green tomatoes from the plants. Either ripen in a brown paper bag or lift the entire plant and hang upside down in a warm spot, to ripen.
- Harvest winter squash once the vines die back, but definitely before a hard freeze.
- Continue harvesting fall crops
- Clean and put away empty containers and garden ornaments.
- Clean and sharpen gardening tools.
- Clean bird feeders for the cold and icy days ahead
SPEAKING OF COOL SEASON ANNUALS: OUR PANSIES ARE READY:
We grow our own from tiny plugs of clear pansies, face pansies, violas, and trailing pansies. They are sold in either flats of 36 count or 18 count or in individual packs or three packs.
FOLKLORE FOR THE SEASON
- When deer are in a gray coat in October, expect a hard winter.
- Much rain in October, much wind in December.
- A warm October means a cold February.
- In October dung your field, and your land its wealth shall yield.
- Good October, a good blast,
To blow the hog acorn and mast.
[tree fruit upon which wild animals feed]
Be sure to come by and see what magic our talented floral staff has concocted for your decorating pleasure.
Be sure to check on our Facebook page for a special pre-Halloween sale weekend event. All Halloween items will be discounted 50%.
Email: rollinghillsgardenctr@gmail.com
villagegallery@embarqmail.com
