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Autumn seems to have come around quickly this year, with October having brought a significant drop in temperature and a whole lot of rain. But the hard work in the garden doesn’t stop, no matter the weather.
In fact, autumn’s the ideal time to prepare for the coming spring and summer, plus there’s just something about getting out in the garden during these colder months that does wonders for both your mental and physical wellbeing.
Whether you’re wondering where to start or what to do next, Head Gardener Dan shares his top five jobs to do in the garden this autumn.
Lift and divide herbaceous perennials
Now is a great time to assess your herbaceous borders and decide where plants have become too vigorous – or lost vigour altogether – before digging them up, dividing them, and re-planting. This means you can reduce the size of overly vigorous plants, fill gaps elsewhere with the excess divided material, and remove bits of your plants that aren’t looking too healthy.
It’s best to carry out this task when your borders are still nice and full, so you can really see what you’re working with and trying to achieve (and before the very wet and cold winter weather arrives).
Bring in tender perennials
We grow lots of tender perennials like evergreen agapanthus, pelargoniums, and salvias in pots and pop them out on the Terrace for summer, where they flower their heads off in the full heat of the summer sun. However, tender perennials like these will not survive a frost. It’s a good idea to bring them inside into an unheated greenhouse or equivalent before the first frosts arrive. If you don’t have frost-free space to store your tender perennials through the winter, you could always consider leaving them in situ and covering them with garden fleece, or mulching them with dry organic matter like straw, instead.
Keep on top of pests and disease in the greenhouse
As you bring more and more plants into the greenhouse for winter, it can become congested; this is where pests and diseases can really proliferate with lots of nice, new plant material to feast on, all pushed up close together with little air flow between them.
Keep your eye out for signs of common greenhouse problems, such as grey mould rotting off leaves – even aphids can survive through a mild winter – and act to rectify the problem as soon as possible before it takes hold and affects your whole plant collection. Squish bugs as soon as they appear and remove mouldy leaves before they affect other plants.
Spring bulb planting
Don’t forget to plant your spring bulbs before it’s too late! Common spring bulbs like daffodils, crocus and hyacinths are best planted in October, whilst tulips fare better if planted as late as November. As a general rule of thumb, most bulbs are best planted 2.5 times their own depth and covered with compost or soil – but check the back of the packaging and follow the instructions there if you’re not sure what to do.
Once the bulbs start to shoot, they can be watered sparingly, and then freely once they have filled the pot. Watch out for rodent attacks – whether they are planted in pots or straight in the ground – as squirrels and mice love eating all sorts of bulbs, especially tulips and crocus.
Collect autumn leaves
There are three very good reasons to spend time collecting autumn leaves. Firstly, fallen leaves left to rot in situ can cause die-back on your lawn – if this is where they have fallen – as they block out the light and stop your grass from photosynthesising. Secondly, they can be very slippery underfoot when wet, particularly on hard surfaces like paving slabs or decking.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, autumn leaves can be collected and composted into leaf mould, one of the most wonderful resources you can have in the garden for helping to improve the structure of your soil. To speed up the composting process, try shredding autumn leaves using a mower or garden shredder. If your compost heap is turned regularly, the smaller, shredded leaves will break down and turn into leaf mould more quickly.
Photography by Tony Bucknall and Greg Milner
