Autumn is most definitely upon us! The woolly jumpers are out ready and the woolly hat is making an appearance. The clocks go back at the end of the month and the days draw to an early close, reducing the amount of time for us gardeners. On the plus side there are the stunning autumn colours everywhere, whether it’s in your own garden or the surrounding countryside. Our seasons are one of the great things about this country and I love the rhythm they provide you as a gardener.
So pull on your woolly hat and get out in the garden, here are some jobs you can be getting on with.
- Plant bulbs for fabulous spring displays. I like to have them in pots so I can move them around and try different combinations.
- Sow sweetpeas now and grow on under glass so that you have strong bushy plants for next year.
- Lift Dahlia tubers, don’t worry if they have been exposed to a frost or two and the leaves have blackened they will be fine. Alternatively, if you are keeping them in the ground apply a thick mulch to help protect them during the cold months.
- It’s not too late to sow grass seed and its a good time to lay turf.
- Continue to clear up leaves, if they’re on the lawn just run the mower over them to save a lot of back-breaking raking. Don’t add them to your compost, keep them on their own to breakdown and form lovely leaf mold.
- Now is a good time to be taking hardwood cuttings - Cornus, Forsythia, Philadelphus, Rose, Ribes are all plants you can propagate this way…. basically give any woody shrub a go.
- Continue to life and divide congested clumps of perennial.
- Plant bare root roses.
- Mulch borders…. I like to do this in autumn and in spring. In autumn it helps to keep some warmth in the soil for a little longer, protects some of the more vulnerable plants and gives the worms something to go at over winter. Then in spring it locks in some of the moisture from winter, suppresses the weeds and gives the worms something to go at over summer! I like happy worms!
- Get busy planting, now is a great time. Also if any of your plants are in the wrong place now is a good time to move them.