6 Tips on getting your garden ready for Autumn

Is your garden ready for Autumn? Autumn is here and with it comes the cooler weather, increased rainfall and first signs of the leaves changing in the trees and shrubs from greens to reds, browns and golds. After such a warm summer, the change in temperatures and weather will be welcomed by many. However, this also means changes in the types of tasks that creep onto the domestic to-do-list.

Autumn in the garden

In the garden, the jobs certainly change at this time of year. September and October are the ideal months to update planting plans, tidy borders and clear debris from the lawn. Also, to make sure that gardening tools are all in good working order. After all, you will thank yourself in the spring if you pay the garden some attention now. Here are some more autumn gardening tips to help you make the most of the colourful season.

Garden ready for autumn: Look after the lawn

Grass growth does slow in the autumn and winter. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean you should place your mower in mothballs just yet. Now is a good time to give the grass a final going over. This prevents it from remaining too long and straggly when the autumn rain comes to waterlog the ground, followed by winter frosts. Shorter grass is also easier when it comes to raking fallen leaves away later on in the season. Rake out any moss and thatch to improve drainage further. Finally, feed your lawn afterwards with a specialist autumn lawn food for healthier grass next spring.

Garden ready for autumn: Check your tools

Now is also the time to cast an eye over your gardening tools and appliances. The frantic gardening activity of summer has passed, and the weather is not at its coldest yet. Clean your tools and dry them carefully. Check for damage and replace anything that is beyond repair. If your hosepipes are knotted up or contain annoying kinks, buy a set of Kinkouts now too. That way, you will be ready for watering the garden again when spring returns. You can prolong the life of your hosepipe this way, rather than having to buy a new one.

Garden ready for autumn: Plant for spring

September is the ideal month to plant many spring-flowering bulbs, although some can also be planted later on in the autumn too. Check planting instructions and choose the right spot for them to thrive. Water them well – again, checking the hosepipe for kinks and knots first. Tidy the borders around the bulbs too, clearing fallen leaves and fruit and clearing old foliage. This allows what sunshine there is to hit to soil and keep it warmer for the bulbs underneath.

Garden ready for autumn: Maintenance matters

Check all around the garden for other signs of damage or disrepair. Check fences, drainpipes, gutters, paths, gates and bird feeders. Clean the greenhouse glass panels so that as much light as possible can filter inside. Bring furniture indoors if you can, as well as terracotta pots and other delicate items or plants. Do this now, before the really cold weather sets in and you no longer fancy working outside.

Garden ready for autumn: Reuse and recycle in the garden

Add fallen leaves to a mesh bin, sprinkle with water occasionally and leave them turn into a mulch. The process takes around two years to complete, but you will be left with a nutrient rich mulch for spreading around the soil to feed the roots of plants and shrubs. Keep an eye on the compost bin. If the contents are ready to use, spread onto the vegetable garden or around the garden. Autumn is a great time to start a compost patch. This is due to the increased organic matter produced from vegetable peelings, deadheaded flowers and fallen leaves etc.. Finally, use broken pieces of terracotta plant pots as drainage aids in the bottom of whole ones, rather than throwing them away.

Garden ready for autumn: Add interest

Plant hardy evergreens to fill in any gaps caused by deciduous species losing their leaves, or annual plants dying away. Ornamental grasses can look stunning too placed in an autumn garden. Clean up any old, dirty garden ornaments, or invest in some new ones, again to add interest and provide focal points around the garden. Keep the bird feeder topped up to attract winged visitors to your garden ready for Autumn in the month of September and October. This will not only add interest for you, but valuable food for the birds in more challenging weather conditions. Do some research into autumn and winter flowering plants too. Some plants re known for their vibrant autumnal leaves and interesting shapes just as much, if not, more, than their summertime blooms.