By the time autumn rolls round, many gardens in the North are looking a bit worse for wear. The hanging baskets have given up the ghost, the lawn’s patchier than your Uncle Kev’s beard, and the veg patch looks like it’s just come back from a festival. But don’t hang up your gardening gloves just yet. Autumn is one of the busiest and most rewarding times in the gardening year — and with the right jobs done now, your garden can still look colourful while setting itself up for spring.
Two Phases of Autumn Gardening
Autumn naturally splits in two. Early autumn is about squeezing out the last of the summer sparkle, while late autumn is about protecting and preparing for winter.
In early autumn, deadhead and feed your summer plants to keep borders and pots looking fresh for as long as possible. Refresh tired containers with violas, pansies and wallflowers, which will see you through the colder months. Chrysanthemums add bold splashes of colour at this time of year too – proper showstoppers when the rest of the garden’s starting to sulk. By late autumn, the focus shifts to structure and survival: winter pruning shrubs to stop wind rock, wrapping up tender plants, and thinking about how to weatherproof your patch.
Instant Colour for Darker Days
Don’t resign yourself to a dull garden. Cyclamen, pansies and violas are hardy bedding staples, still going when the frost bites. Pop them into pots by the back door and you’ll get a cheery greeting every time you nip out with the recycling. Chrysanthemums will keep borders lively in September and October, while evergreens like skimmia and viburnum tinus add year-round backbone.
Tip: Raise pots off the ground on bricks or “pot feet” to stop them waterlogging once the rain sets in.
Time to Plant for Spring
If you want daffs in the lawn or tulips bursting out of borders come March, now’s the time to get them in. Rule of thumb: bulbs go in at three times their own depth, pointy end up. Snowdrops and crocuses planted in drifts will make you smile on the darkest days.
Autumn’s also perfect for planting evergreen shrubs and small trees while the soil is still warm and moist. They’ll establish roots before winter, giving you more vigorous, healthier plants next year.
Lawns Love Autumn Too
After a dry summer, the grass often looks sorry for itself. Autumn is the time to give it a boost. Swap the nitrogen-heavy summer feed for an autumn mix richer in potassium and phosphates – this encourages strong root growth to withstand the winter. Scarify to remove moss and thatch, aerate with a garden fork to improve drainage, and if you’re keen, apply a top dressing to level things out. Do the graft now and you’ll be smug come spring when your lawn bounces back greener than your neighbour’s.
Grow Your Own (and Store the Rest)
Autumn isn’t just about planting bulbs. It’s the time to get garlic, onions and broad beans into the ground, ready to power through the cold and reward you in summer. Soft fruits like raspberries and currants, as well as fruit trees, establish themselves brilliantly if planted now.
Rule of thumb: bulbs go in at three times their own depth, pointy end up
Meanwhile, harvest what’s left from summer: dig up potatoes and store them in breathable paper bags in a cool, dark place. Pumpkins should be brought in before Halloween (otherwise you risk a soggy mess on the doorstep). And here’s a tasty perk: veg like sprouts, turnips and cabbage actually sweeten after a frost – one of nature’s quirks.
Greenhouse Prep
Before winter takes hold, clear out the greenhouse. Chuck any dead tomato plants, give everything a good scrub, and move in tender plants like citrus or fuchsias. Check your heater’s working too – whether it’s electric or paraffin, it’s better to be prepared than shivering out there at midnight with a frost warning on the radio.
NorthernLife Sep/Oct/Nov 25
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