“Autumn… the year’s last, loveliest smile.” – William Cullen Bryant.
Summer has slipped away and the autumn leaves are cascading in their abundance. Autumn is a beautiful season, rich in texture and vibrant colours, and a crucial time for the avid gardener to get winter-ready by preparing the garden carefully.
Lawn tips
Mower at the ready
Be on the lookout for a dry day to get the mower out. Grass growth slows right down in the winter months, but it can have a growth spurt in the autumn due to increased moisture and mild weather. So keep it short in autumn to tame it over the colder months. It’s also important to keep the lawn clear of leaves to allow it to thrive.
After your last mow of the season take the opportunity to put your mower in for a service before putting it to bed for the winter!
Nutritious food
Just like us, our lawn craves nutrition to keep it strong through the winter months. An autumn feed of quality lawn food will pay dividends to keep your grass healthy through the cold and wet months.
Improve drainage
For parts of your lawn that get heavy traffic and compacted soil, improving the drainage can be really helpful to avoid a boggy, flooded mess in the winter. You can simply push a garden fork into the ground as far as possible and move it backwards and forwards to make good size air channels. Then brush over a sandy topcoat across the surface to fill the holes, allowing good air ventilation and water hydration to the ground.
Time to sow
Now is the optimum time to sow lawns and meadows due to the extra moisture. Bare patches on your lawn can be improved by raking weed-free topsoil into them to encourage greater greenery.
Plant tips
Keep rot at bay
As the cooler nights set in, an increase in dew can result in plant rot. Continue dead-heading your autumn flowering plants and keep on top of any veg that remain hidden in the shade of their leaves.
Look after the needy
Autumn is a good time to dig in plenty of compost, mulch borders and wrap up needier plants with horticultural fleece to protect them from frost. For any vulnerable garden plants, protect them by bringing them undercover to keep them frost-free – they’ll thank you for it come spring. Be sure to give them and their compost, a thorough check for any pests who might also fancy some warmth over the winter.
Neat and tidy
Clearing out any debris from your beds, pots or the bottom of your trees, will not only look tidy from an aesthetic point of view, but will hugely benefit your plants. By removing foliage, old fruit and weeds, you’re more likely to keep your plants disease-free and you’ll allow the much-needed sunlight to reach them. Don’t forget to cut back and prune plants to keep them at full health.
Quench their thirst
Believe it or not, some plants, mainly container plants, may still need a good watering in autumn if the weather is dry. This will keep them hydrated throughout winter.
Clear up the veg
Remove all leftover crops and clear out any pesky weeds to keep your veggie garden tidy and wrapped up nicely for winter.
Plan ahead
Spring feels like ages away but if you want those precious spring flowers it’s time to get planting bulbs now, ahead of the frost.
Don’t forget that bare rooted and winter rootball trees and shrubs can be planted throughout the winter season so consider sourcing these now.
Tool and furniture tips
Squeaky clean
Keeping your tools clean will give them longevity and make your spring return to the garden much easier. Autumn is the ideal time of year to clean up the shed and, especially your greenhouse, to ensure you have maximum sunlight reaching your plants in the shorter, colder days.
Store it away
Left to the harsh elements of the winter months, garden furniture can rust, weaken and discolour. If you have the space store them away, alternatively you can buy protective covers to keep them dry and frost-free.
Now that your garden is winter-ready, you can sit back, cosy-up indoors and feel happy that your garden is in ship-shape condition ready for the Spring Opening when it arrives.
If you’re thinking of recreating your outdoor space, now’s the ideal time of year to get the ball rolling. Give us a call or send us an email to discuss your ultimate garden requirements, we’d love to hear from you. In the meantime, peruse our portfolio to get your juices flowing.