WHOOOOO! If your street is anything like mine, everyone has gone all-in on the Halloween decorations.
But what if you could turn your garden into an epic spooky experience, using the power of flowers? Here are some petrifying perennials to consider . . .
DEAD MAN’S FINGERS (Decaisnea fargesii): The most poisonous plant in the UK. In late autumn, this large shrubby perennial produces bizarre, metallic blue-grey seed pods that hang in clusters. They look exactly like the limp, swollen fingers of a corpse. Plant container specimens in spring or autumn in full sun or dappled shade with moist, well-draining soil.
LENTEN ROSE (Helleborus × hybridus “Harvington Black”): This gothic beauty awakens in the dead of winter to push up velvety, near-black spooky-looking flowers. Plant in autumn in a partially shaded spot. Cut old foliage to the ground in January to expose emerging dark blooms.
MISS WILLMOTT’S GHOST (Eryngium giganteum “Silver Ghost”): This architectural sea holly features ghostly, luminescent silver-white bracts that form a spiky collar around thistle centres, glowing eerily under autumn moonlight. Plant in spring in poor, sharply drained soil and full sun.
COW PARSLEY “RAVEN’S WING” (Anthriscus sylvestris): A dark twist on a British wild classic, this variety features intricate, fern-like foliage and stems that turn a dramatic raven-black. Plant in early autumn in partial shade or woodland-style settings with moist, free-draining soil.
PURPLE TOOTHWORT (Lathraea clandestina): A sinister parasitic perennial with no green leaves. It lives entirely hidden underground, drawing nutrients from host roots before bursting through spring soil as clumps of flesh-like purple flowers. Plant container clumps directly against roots of willow or poplar trees in autumn.
BLEEDING HEART (Lamprocapnos spectabilis “Valentine”): Arching, dark red stems hold rows of dangling, puffy flowers shaped like crimson hearts with a single white droplet leaking from the bottom, mimicking fresh blood spatters. Plant in spring in a cool, sheltered position in partial shade.
SEA HOLLY “BIG BLUE” (Eryngium × zabelii): Produces intensely metallic, electric-blue stems and fiercely spiky, razor-edged bracts that look like medieval torture devices. Plant in spring in full sun and very dry, gravelly soils.
SNEEZEWEED “MOERHEIM BEAUTY” (Helenium “Moerheim Beauty”): Providing a burst of Halloween colour, these autumn blooms feature swept-back, burnt- orange petals. They expose a large, dark, bulbous centre that looks like an unblinking, bloodshot eyeball staring out from the borders. Plant in spring or autumn in full sun and moist, well-draining soil.
Also in Veronica's Column this week….
Top tips, gardening news, Plant of the Week and win Cobra Multi-Tool worth £299.99.
For more gardening content, follow me @biros_and_bloom
SAVE: PROTECT your hands from harsh conditions with gardening gloves. Crocus.co.uk has RHS gold-leaf winter touch gloves for £26.99, while Robert Dyas has Briers thermal gloves for £4.99
WIN! WE have a Cobra Multi-Tool to give away, worth £299.99. To be in with a chance of winning, visit thesun.co.uk/multitool or write to Sun Gardening Cobra Multitool competition, PO Box 3190, Colchester, Essex, CO2 8GP.
- Include your name and age, plus your email or phone number. Entries close 11.59pm, November 14. UK residents 18+ only. T&Cs apply.
DIG YOUR DAHLIAS: WE’RE nearing the time to lift our dahlias.
Once the first frost blackens the foliage, cut stems down to 10cm.
If you garden in cold, wet clay, lift the tubers to overwinter. Carefully dig them up with a fork, shake off loose soil, and trim thin feeder roots. Turn them upside down for a few days to drain.
Once dry, pack tubers into shallow boxes filled with damp sand, compost or vermiculite. Store in a cool, dark, frost-free shed or garage.
If you have light, free-draining soil in a mild area, leave them. Cut back and apply a thick layer of dry mulch.
TULIPS SURE TO RETURN: IS anyone else sick of forking out on tulip bulbs year after year? If so, here are five perennial varieties that should keep coming back.
“Apeldoorn”: Sturdy stems that withstand heavy winds and rain, and big, cherry-red, goblet-shaped blossoms.
“Purissima” (Fosteriana/ Emperor): Early-season favourite with huge, creamy-white flowers. Vigorous variety that multiplies rapidly.
“Lady Jane” (Tulipa clusiana): A delicate, dwarf botanical species with slender petals. Candy pink and white blooms open like stars.
“Spring Green” (Viridiflora): Late bloomer has ivory petals streaked with a distinct, yellow-green stripe. As the green petals can photosynthesise, the bulb stores extra energy for multi-year returns.
“Tarda” (Species): Tough, low-growing wild tulip has clusters of star-shaped, golden-yellow blooms tipped with bright white edges.
PLANT OF THE WEEK: PYRACANTHA coccinea “Sunny Star” is a gorgeous evergreen with fewer thorns than other varieties – and beautiful orange fruits coming out around now.
Grow as free-standing shrubs or trained against walls and fences. Also flowers in June.
THIS WEEK’S JOB: PROTECT borderline hardy plants, like Agapanthus, with a thick mulch of straw or garden compost to insulate roots and shelter crowns from frost.
VISIT: MANCHESTER is hosting its Houseplant Festival at the Treehouse Hotel on November 7.
It offers a day of houseplant bingo, rare and unusual plants, plant accessories and some favourite plant vendors.
For tickets see visitmanchester.com.
TIP: IT used to be that, around now, it would be time for your final lawn cut – but I’m not sure this is the case any more.
Either way, lift the blades to the highest cut. And remember not to walk on frosty lawns as it damages the grass.