Don’t pack away your trowel just yet! Autumn and Winter offer plenty of rewarding opportunities to get out in the garden.

From planting hardy favourites to prepping for Spring, the cooler seasons are perfect for making progress while enjoying crisp air and quiet moments outdoors.

Your focus for this season is to Prepare, Plant and Protect…

Prepare

Prune & Cut Back

While most shrubs are best pruned in spring or straight after flowering, autumn is the ideal time to cut back many herbaceous perennials as they begin to die down. Clearing away old growth keeps borders looking neat and helps reduce pests and disease, while leaving some seedheads adds winter interest and food for wildlife.

• Cut back perennials such as hostas, peonies, delphiniums and crocosmia once foliage has collapsed.
• Remove any diseased or mildewed leaves (e.g. monarda, peony) and dispose of them.
• Leave plants like sedums, echinacea, ornamental grasses and verbena bonariensis standing for attractive winter structure and wildlife value.
• Give shrubs just a light tidy if needed, saving major pruning for the correct season.

Get the Lawn Ready for Winter

• Scarify the lawn – remove thatch that has built up during the year to allow for even more rowth next year.
• Rake leaves – prevent leaves from smothering the grass and reduce the risk of fungal diseases.
• Feed and control moss – apply a fertilizes to strengthen roots and reduce moss, we recommend Miracle-Gro Evergreen Autumn Lawn Care.
• Oversow the lawn with fresh grass before the weather gets too cold.
• Avoid heavy foot traffic on wet lawns – it will compact soil abd harm the lawn.
• Avoid mowing over wet worm casts as you’ll end up with messy patches, instead allow them to dry out and remove them before mowing.

Collect Water

With increasingly hot and dry Summers, its more important that ever to harvest your own rainfall but to do this, you need to think ahead. Winter months have the highest rainfall so now is the time to invest in a water butt (or two!).

Plant

Plant Spring Bulbs

Autumn is the perfect time to plant spring-flowering bulbs and you’ll be very grateful for your efforts now when next spring arrives. Daffodils, crocus and alliums can be planted from September wll before the ground freezes. Tuck them into borders, pots or even naturalise them in lawns for a cheerful burst of colour early next year. Tulips are best planted a little later, in November, when the soil is cooler and less likely to harbour diseases.

Plant Soft Fruit – for delicious berries next year!

Bare-root soft fruit bushes and canes – think raspberries, blackcurrants, gooseberries and blueberries – establish brilliantly when planted in autumn, as the soil is still warm enough for roots to settle before winter. Choose a sunny, sheltered spot with good drainage and enrich the soil with compost or well-rotted manure for the best results.

Autumn Bedding

Brighten borders, baskets and containers with hardy autumn bedding plants such as violas, pansies, primroses and cyclamen. They’ll provide colour and interest through the cooler months and can be paired with evergreen foliage plants like ivy or heuchera for a longer-lasting display.

Protect

Lift Tender Plants

Frost-sensitive plants such as dahlias, cannas and gladioli need a little extra care. Once their foliage has been blackened by the first frosts, lift the tubers or corms, shake off excess soil and store them somewhere cool, dry and frost-free until spring.

Mulch and Protect

A layer of mulch around the base of perennials, roses and young shrubs helps insulate roots against winter cold, locks in soil moisture and improves structure. We recommend Strulch or you can use well-rotted manure or bark, and take the chance to check stakes and ties are secure before winter winds arrive.

Help Wildlife

Autumn and winter gardens are vital for wildlife. Leave some seedheads standing for birds, create a log or leaf pile as shelter for insects and hedgehogs, and top up bird feeders regularly. Even a small dish of fresh water can make a big difference for visiting wildlife.