October Gardening Tips
In October, with colder nights and shorter days, we can enjoy the last splashes of autumn colour in our beds and borders. With the prospect of first frosts, there are plenty of jobs to be done in the garden....
Flower/Plants
- Lift and pot on tender perennials to store indoors
- Plant spring-flowering bulbs into borders and pots
- Collect up and compost leaves as they begin to fall
- Plant evergreen shrubs and hedging, or move any that are growing in the wrong place
- Pull up annual climbers and cut back untidy perennial climbers
Fruit/Vegetables
- Sow green manure crops in bare spaces
- Pick apples, pears and plums as they ripen
- Sow and plant: broad beans, peas, Japanese and autumn onion sets, spring cabbages and garlic
- Bring potted herbs under cover to protect them
- Lift and store any remaining potatoes in a cool, dry place
Greenhouse
- Pot up rooted cuttings
- Plant pots of hyacinths
- Check that heating equipment is working efficiently
- Bring potted azaleas indoors and water with rain water
- Water indoor cyclamen to bring them back into growth after their summer rest
General
- Buy farmyard manure or mushroom compost to dig into the soil during autumn
- Increase the height of the cut on your mower
- Spread netting over water features and ponds to prevent leaves going in
- Order roses to plant out this winter
- Cover newly planted bulbs with wire netting to prevent squirrels digging them up
The slower winter months have passed and by mid-March we’re ready to welcome Spring and start the new season in earnest! As the weather improves our gardens stir into growth - these are the jobs to complete now:
A busy month is ahead in the garden, as the weather begins to warm, days are a little longer and blossom surrounds us! Now's the time to get sowing and planting.....
May has arrived and it really is a lovely month in the garden! Days are getting warmer and longer, we're surrounded by trees in leaf and blossom and our pots, borders and baskets burst with wonderful colour! We can really feel that Summer is on the way and it’s time to tidy up spring plants, plant out summer flowers and get planning for Autumn...
As Summer arrives, we can relax outdoors enjoying the long, warm days surrounded by our gardens in full growth, colour and fragrance! There’s plenty to harvest in the vegetable garden and keeping on top of weeds is a key task!
The garden is in full bloom, full of mid summer colour, texture and fragrance! Now is the time to maintain the blooms, providing your garden with the care it needs to prevent drying out during the warmest months
With long, hot summer days, August is the time to relax and enjoy the beauty of the garden. Regular watering, feeding and tidying are keys to keeping your garden looking beautiful... .
September is the perfect time to take stock of your garden after the busy summer period. Now is the time to establish new plants and make plans for the coming seasons... .
Winter is on the way.... As the days shorten, we enjoy the array of autumn colour as leaves fall and shrubs reveal berries and can be busy with these jobs:
As our gardens quieten and still for the winter period, we can still enjoy them on milder winter days to complete the following important jobs: