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OCTOBER IF DUCKS DO SLIDE AT HALLOWTIDE, AT CHRISTMAS THEY WILL SWIM; IF DUCKS DO SWIM AT HALLOWTIDE, AT CHRISTMAS THEY WILL SLIDE. More weather folklore "The trees are in their autumn beauty, The woodland paths are dry, Under the October twilight the water, Mirrors a still sky" - William Butler Yeats Flower of the month - CALENDULA The end of October and the beginning of November is the time to plant tulip bulbs in order to avoid tulip fire disease. They can be planted in groups in the herbaceous border where other plants develop in late spring to cover their dying foliage, and will give an early burst of colour. If, like me you suffer from strong winds (the weather kind!!), then choose the dwarf varieties with 5 to 8 inch stems. Place a 3cm layer of grit or sharp sand in the hole first to provide good drainage. Fallen leaves are the bane of some people, but a godsend for others. Both groups will expend much energy at this time of year collecting them. I tend to let the wind do the sweeping up, if you hold off for a while the leaves will be in corners. The exception is on a lawn where occlusive clumps would damage the swardso should be removed. Paths and steps can become slippery with wet leaves so should a;so be cleared. A good leaf rake is more efficient than a mechanical blower device for a thick layer, but it is handy for 'herding up' a thin layer. Loose scatterings can be lifted with a rotary mower on a high setting this also chops them up and aids their breakdown. The group who view leaves as a godsend will of course be making leaf-mould. If you don't have the space for a bin to put them in, use strong black bags such as rubble sacks (M/P compost and bark chipping bags are usually black if turned inside-out), make some holes in them and conceal them under shrubs or hedges. Beech leaves take longer to break down, Chestnut leaves have tough stalks and should be chopped up, run the mower over them a few times if you don't have a shredder. Leaves are broken down by fungi so do not heat up like normal compost which is broken down by bacteria, therefore large quantities are better composted separately as they slow the decomposition process down. A bin can be made from a circle of netting wire supported by posts. In all cases make sure the leaves are quite wet, adding more water if needed and later ensure that they do not dry out as the decomposition will halt. Recently Red Lily Beetles have been found more widespread due to global warming. At this time of year the adults will have retreated to the ground to overwinter in the soil or mulch - usually near to the host plant. So have a rummage around at the base of dead lily stems to locate any that might be present, and destroy them. Plants which need to be lifted for winter storage should have died back enough by now, eg. dahlia tubers, gladiola corms, tuberous begonias and canna rhizomes. Dust them with a little flowers of sulphur as an antifungal. Canna rhizomes need to be kept in damp peat or compost, so that they don't dry out completely and wither. Dahlias should be allowed to dry and be stored with any hollow stems remaining upside down. In well drained soil and a mild winter, a thick mulch of straw or garden compost should allow dahlias and gladiolas to remain in the border over the winter. If you are transferring plants between borders or importing them from another garden, check that there are no roots of perennial weeds like Ground-elder or Couchgrass in the clump. Gently tease any such roots out ensuring no small fragments remain. A border can be ruined by neglecting such hygeine. Sow some of the seeds which you have been collecting from perennial plants ( your own or the ones you slipped into your pocket as you visited other gardens !! ). Some require a period of cold to stimulate them into growth - stratification. If you are not sure which ones to treat in this way sow some now and put the rest in the fridge in an air-tight box until the spring. A heated propogator can be a great help to ensure faster and more productive germination. When the seedlings are big enough to handle pot them up individually and place them in a cold frame or on a bright windowsill. At this time of year you are more likely to see the fruiting bodies of Slime Moulds and fungi. Most of them do not do any harm apart from their unsightly appearance. Some of them are feeding on decaying pieces of wood and roots buried in the soil. If they keep reccurring it might be worthwhile digging down to remove the rotting wood. Also if preparing ground it is best to remove as much dead wood as possible to avoid the problem in the future. Pick them off the grass to stop them making a mess when mowing or to avoid them being trampled. An old saying goes "In October dung your fields, and your land its wealth shall yield", so now is a good time to spread some compost or well-rotted manure on the vegetable beds. If you grow swedes they are probably big enough now to lift and are stored as for beetroot and carrots. They can be left but will become woody, and can be attacked by slugs.