As gardeners, we are fortunate to be at the forefront of the changing seasons. We can feel the warmth creeping into the sun in late spring, watch the leaves turn from vibrant green to autumnal rusts in autumn, and feel the tingle of chilly air in our noses as we welcome in winter.
However, most of us probably favour the spring and summer months when seeds are bursting into life, colourful blooms are waving their happy heads, and harvests are tantalising us from stem and branch.
This said, the cooler seasons don’t need to mean the garden grinds to a halt – oh no! There are plenty of vegetables to grow in autumn that are fantastic for overwintering, and can help you scratch that gardening itch, whatever the weather.
Here are my favourites, and the crops I’ll be getting in the ground this month:
My favourite veg crops to grow in autumn
1. Peas
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Now is the perfect time to plant peas, start to steal a march on spring harvests – though you will need to make sure you are sowing a winter-hardy variety. I love peas; they always feel like a real treat.
Autumn-sown types should be planted in well-drained soil which has been prepared before sowing. You can also start them in lengths of drainpipe under cover. Place seeds 5cm apart and 2.5 cm deep.
Cover with fleece or cloches in colder regions. A bonus extra harvest if you have any leftover seeds is pea shoots – simply sow seeds thinly on the surface of a shallow tray of compost, cover lightly, sprinkle with water and wait! These flavour-packed shoots will be ready to snip in as little as two weeks.
Where to buy peas:
2. Spinach
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Packed with goodness and a welcome bit of greenery in the winter months, spinach is the perfect crop for overwintering.
You can enjoy cut-and-come-again leaves in early spring for use in a variety of dishes. Select a hardy variety, and prepare the soil in a sunny and sheltered location with well-draining soil. Sow in rows, and offer cloche or fleece protection if frosts are expected.
This is a true year-round crop, and is simple to grow – just watch out for bolting (running to seed early). My personal favourite way to use spinach is in a delicious, fragrant curry – yum!
Where to buy spinach:
3. Blueberries
(Image credit: Future PLC/Polly Eltes)
I will be adding another blueberry bush or two to my garden this month, as unfortunately, one didn’t survive our house move last year. Autumn and winter are ideal for planting fruit, as bushes and trees will be dormant.
If you want to grow blueberries, it is best to have at least two bushes, as cross-pollination results in larger harvests and bigger, juicier berries. I’ll be adding these to large pots – blueberries like an acidic soil, so it is far easier to control the quality of the growing medium in containers.
Water and pop the pot in a spot that gets plenty of sunshine. Mulch the surface of the soil to protect roots from winter frost.
Where to buy blueberries:
Crocus, Blueberry ‘Bluecrop’, from £16.99
Suttons, Blueberry ‘Pink Lemonade’, from £29.99
4. Chard
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I will probably never stop singing the praises of Swiss chard, which is perfect for overwintering. Rainbow chard adds a wonderful ornamental element, as well as being delicious to eat, and cold tolerant – there’s a lot to love!
Frequent harvesting encourages the plant to stay productive. Use the leaves when they’re young and tender, or wait until they’re large and glossy. And don’t discard the stems – they’re delicious, too! Choose a sunny, well-drained spot and sow 30cm apart, at a depth of 2cm, The plants are generally hardy but can benefit from protection if frosts threaten.
Where to buy chard:
5. Radishes
(Image credit: Getty Images / Ralf Geithe)
A quick crop for the impatient grower, radishes are another fantastic addition to the garden year-round. There are some amazing and eye-catching winter varieties – I’m looking forward to trying ‘Black Spanish’ for the first time, as well as revisiting a daikon type which we always enjoy.
Sow radish seeds for overwintering by planting them in well-drained soil or in pots under cover. Space seeds 5-8cm apart and water with a fine rose watering can.
Where to buy radish:
It is truly worthwhile keeping the veg garden ticking over during the winter months – not only is it fantastic for mental and physical health, your dinner plate will thank you, too!
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