Here is where you can find all the news, ideas and inspiration you need to make your garden a success all year round. Keep on top of your gardening jobs with our guide to essential tasks for Autumn/Winter:
Autumn |
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Lawn maintenance Last chance to mow those lawns while it’s still dry! Renovate old lawns with organic fertilizer and aerate them. Keep on top of raking up fallen leaves, trim hedges and conduct a thorough weeding to reduce work through the wet months to come. |
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Garden and tool clean up Recycle your potting soil from died off annuals by adding to the compost pile along with other garden debris. Don’t add any diseased plant material to the compost pile, throw it away so it doesn’t spread. Clean off empty pots and tools properly and store away. After cleaning wooden handles on shovels and tools with water, coat them with linseed oil to prevent splintering from use and harsh weather. Don’t forget to empty excess water and disconnect hoses. Water expands as it freezes and can burst pipes and hoses. |
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Collect seeds Make the most of free seeds produced by perennials and other garden plants by saving them when they are fully ripe. Collect mature seed-heads in paper bags and hang them in a warm place to dry out. The seeds can be cleaned and sorted, then put into labelled envelopes and stored in a cool, dry place. Swap your seeds with your friends to share in each other's successes. |
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Deadheading Deadhead roses as the blooms fade, cutting off the flowers just above the uppermost leaf on the stem. Trim back lavender bushes after flowering to remove the old blooms and shoot tips, taking care not to cut back too heavily into any old wood. Removing faded flowers from perennials and annual plants will also ensure a continued display of blooms. Give roses a final deadheading when the blooms have faded and shorten tall stems slightly to reduce wind rock. However, leave those that have developed hips for some extra autumn colour. |
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Attend to bedding Give bedding displays, hanging baskets and pots a little attention to ensure their display lasts well into autumn. Pick over plants twice a week to remove any faded blooms, keep watering daily and control pests when you find them. Any tender plants you want to save for next year can also be potted this month, so they are established and ready to bring under cover when the weather turns cooler. |
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Add plants for autumn interest Create a striking feature in your borders by using some plants that look good during the autumn months. One of the best plants to choose is Sedum spectabile 'Brilliant' which produces masses of flat, bright pink flower-heads on upright stems with succulent, glaucous leaves. Grow sedums in full sun in a well-drained soil and divide every few years to improve flowering. Other plants which are also good at this time of year include ornamental grasses, heleniums and perennial asters, Michaelmas daisies. |
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Garden wildlife Continue to put out food and water for the birds and wildlife that visit the garden. Late butterflies might be tempted by fallen fruit and you may be able to see other wildlife, before hibernation, such as hedgehogs, gathering the last of their winter stocks. You can encourage them into your garden by purchasing some hedgehog food from a local garden centre or you can even feed them dried cat or dog food, but it is recommended to stick to the meat flavours rather than fish! |
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Plant ahead Plant bulbs such as tulips and daffodils in late autumn for an early Spring display. This will also help prevent the fungal disease ‘tulip fire’ (Botrytis tulipae). Plant out roses and hardy annual perennial seedlings and dig over beds for next year’s annuals. Plant out any roses adding some plant food or compost to the soil. |
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Winter |
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Protection Dig over ground reserved for annuals next year to give the ground ample time to settle and firm the ground around any plants that have lifted from frost. If you have a greenhouse think about insulation to protect your plants. Bubble wrap can work really well or supply an eco-heater. Check winter protection structures are still secure. |
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Preparation Clean and sharpen gardening tools ready for Spring. Clear remaining dead tops of plants in your borders and dig over any heavy soils. Plan what seeds you want to plant for Spring and dig over beds reserved for annuals. Wash seed trays and pots and continue providing food and water for hungry birds! Top up on canes, string, pots and continue carrying out work on your garden throughout the winter months. |
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Pruning Prune acers, birches and vines before Christmas to prevent bleeding. Take hardwood cuttings after leaf fall. Prune wisteria, winter flowering shrubs that have finished flowering, evergreen hedges and climbers from late January. |
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Sew you seeds Sow peas and beans around February. Shallots, onion sets and early potatoes around March. In mild weather plant out hardy seedlings, new plants and any plants needing a move. Plant out any containers with trees or shrubs and start planting your summer flowering bulbs. Start to mow the lawn again on dry days and deal with weeds before they get out of hand when they come back into growth. |
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Introduce colour Give yourself and your garden a winter lift by introducing some colour by your front door and windows. Hellebores such as the Ashwood Garden hybrids, dogwoods with fiery-coloured stems such as “Midwinter Fire” (Cornus sanguinea), and winter-flowering heathers should do the trick. For heathers, try Erica carnea “Springwood White”, as it is almost like a carpet of snow in February and March. For brighter hues, Erica carnea “Myretoun Ruby”, has vibrant magenta blooms. |
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Give them shelter Lift tender plants such as geraniums and fuchsia, and store them in a frost-free greenhouse or pot them up and grow them on a windowsill. Alternatively, if it's bitterly cold, bring any potted plants nearer the house for warmth and shelter. |
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Mulch Warm and protect your soil this winter. Mulch the soil with a 2in layer of garden compost, manure or bark to keep down weeds next summer. |
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