Our gardening expert Kirsty McLean gives us her advice on what to do for Autumn in our gardens
As our gardens transition from late summer to autumn, there is much to be done. September is ideal for planting winter salads, broad beans or early harvest for next spring alongside late-season harvesting. Think potatoes, late-season plums or any left-over apples. October is a good time to divide and cut back perennials, prune roses (after flowering), and transplant plants that need to be moved. It’s also a good time to plant trees & large shrubs, especially toward the end of the month when the ground is still warm. With wetter months on the way, mother nature can help roots establish without the need for manual watering. Bare-rooted and root-ball trees and plants become available from late October to the end of March depending on temperature, offering a cost-effective option with better growing conditions.
This is the perfect time of year to plant your bulbs for next season. With a bit of planning, bulbs are a fantastic and economical way of getting continuous colour into the garden throughout the seasons. Daffodils, Crocuses, Hyacinths and Snowdrops all come to mind. If you use annuals in pots and borders, changing these out for winter pansies and violas is a great way to have colour through to next spring.
Putting the garden to bed for the winter brings mixed emotions because it signals the end of summer. But we all need a rest, even our gardens. Tidy up borders and mulch with organic matter round plants that may need a little winter protection. This practice helps to suppress weeds next growing season and feeds the soil with essential nutrients. This is a good time to apply an autumn lawn feed to strengthen the grass for winter and promote healthy growth in spring. Aerate the lawn to improve drainage and air circulation by puncturing the surface. You can get a tool for this, but using a fork and sticking it in all over the lawn will do just as well. Adding a layer of sharp sand can be especially helpful for compacted or clay soil with poor drainage.
There are of course some trees and plants that come to life at this time of year, lifting our spirits in the darker months. Viburnum tinus is evergreen with scented delicate blooms, and flowers from August/September through to the following late spring. Lonicera x purpusii or Lonicera fragrantissima with their fragrant, delicate and creamy-white flowers can be seen from December to March. Witch hazel with its unusual ribbon-like and fragrant flowers come in shades of yellow, orange and red. Or, for something larger – Prunus x subhirtella ‘Autumnalis’, a winter-flowering Cherry. It’s always a tonic to spy the pale pink petals against grey skies.
It’s heartening to know that whilst our gardens are being allowed to rest in the colder months, there are pockets of life that we can plant now which will provide us with interest and scent through the winter and beyond.