Autumn Tasks in the Garden

Photos to prove I have followed some of this advice!

A bit of extra time and effort in the autumn not only means the garden looks a bit better in the dreary winter months, but it also means that you’ve got a head start next spring.  So, if you’re bored:

• Sweep up leaves and make leaf mould compost or mulch.
• Pull up annual plants (and compost)
• Trim hedges and flowering shrubs (and compost)
• Cut back perennials - crocosmia, geraniums, echinacea and echinops, need to be cut down to the ground
• Divide herbaceous perennials
• Prune climbing roses
• Mow the lawn for the final time; setting the blades higher than usual to leave the grass slightly longer over winter
• Clean and disinfectant tools and greenhouse
• Move tender plants into a greenhouse or conservatory, or onto a windowsill
• Repair fences, sheds, garden-furniture as applicable

Onions, shallots and garlic can be planted in autumn and are hardy enough to withstand even the coldest of winters (use fleece if there is hard frost).  Sow sweet-peas in the greenhouse so they can establish a long root system by the spring. Plant out spring cabbages.