David Domoney Newsletter

October: Autumn is here!

Hi ,

Autumn is officially upon us, and with it comes darker nights, cooler temperatures, and wonderful autumn colours. Make sure to enjoy the changing shades of foliage by taking a walk in your local area or gardens.

On the 7th and 8th of October, if you are in Northern Ireland I will be celebrating Coleman’s Garden Centre’s 60th anniversary with them! I will also be joined by fellow TV gardener, Frances Tophill. Most of the talks are non-ticketed, but to make sure you don’t miss out on Frances and me delivering our Gardening Masterclass together, book your tickets here.

Autumn is a great season to make sure your lawn is ready for winter. Make sure your lawn is winter-ready by scarifying to shift dead thatch, giving your lawn better access to air and water. You also should raise your cutting blades too, as the grass grows slower as winter approaches. Make sure to rake up any leaves to give your lawn more access to sunlight too.

I have a couple of competitions running on my social media channels. If you want a chance to win a Blower Vac courtesy of Yard Force, head to my Facebook channel at this link. You could also win a fantastic Yard Force Vita Tool Kit if you head to my Instagram at the link here.

This October, enjoy the start of autumn and the cosy, dark nights. For advice and my best gardening tips, visit my website and YouTube channel.

Happy gardening!

David

Gardening tip of the month

Play a classic game of Conkers

On walks in your local area, you may be finding those familiar, shiny conkers lying around. Make sure to collect them for this nostalgic game.

Tip one go foraging for conkers

Forage for your Conkers

Head out on a nature walk! If you know that you have horse chesnut trees nearby, aim for those. Only ever pick them up from the ground, as if you pick them up from the tree they may not be ripe yet.

Tip 2 pick out the best conkers and drill holes into them

Drill a small hole

From your collection, pick conkers that don’t have any damage or soft spots. To test for duds, pop them in water. If they sink, they’re sure to be strong contenders! Get a drill, and make a small hole all the way through.

Tip three measure the string and thread through the hole

Measure & Cut String

Get some strong string or garden twine that will fit through the hole you’ve made. Make a double knot, to make sure your conker doesn’t fall off, and measure the string to about 60 cm, or 2 ft. This will mean you have more distance between your conker and your hand!

Tip 4 play a game of conkers

Get the game underway

Prepare a few so you have some backups. Now you can play! Take it in turns to swing your conker with your opponent. The winning conker successfully smashes their opponent’s. A fresh conker is called a none-er, but once it wins its first fight, it earns the title ‘one-er’!

Top Plants

Find out my suggestions of the best plants to grow in your garden this October for some interest and colour.

Expert Guide: Sowing Seeds

Find out the best methods that you can use to sow seeds, to get your plants off to the best start possible.

Win £500 Amazon vouchers

Win £500 of Amazon vouchers

By following me on my various social media channels, you could be in with a chance to win this amazing prize.

Top Job for October

By planting evergreen hedges and conifer shrubs this month, you will have consistent colour all year long!

Plants for Purpose

There are some amazing and interesting looking plants to add a spooky twist to your garden or hallway in time for Halloween.

Growing guide: Asters

Asters are wonderful blooms to add some delicate colour to your garden in early autumn, so find out the best advice for growing them.

Win a Blower Vac

Win a LBC20 Blower Vac courtesy of Yard Force to make sure your garden is tidy and ready for winter.

Keep your Hydrangeas Blue

With a little bit of hard work and dedication, you can keep your hydrangeas flowering blue! Find out how with my guide.

Here are the winners from September:

Miracle-Gro® Autumn Lawn Care Winners:

Gaynor Gulless

Steph Lovatt

Benjamin Cooper

Angela Treadway

Susan Graves

Suan Watts

Matthew Davies

Gurjit Bains

Kerry Homer

Michael Peace

Congratulations! Keep your eyes peeled for other competitions in October.