It is good to see the garden recovering from the drought. We are having an early autumn but many flowers are blooming again! If you are adding bulbs to your garden, get smaller ones into the ground or pots quickly, as they are more prone to drying out in the packets, eg. iris reticulata, anemone blanda, chionodoxa or species crocus. Soaking bulbs before planting tends to deter squirrels but they still seem to take any crocus that I put in! You can try covering plantings with chicken wire. Plant tulips deeply in pots or borders – layering bulbs that bloom at different times, topped with violas, pansies, bellis and forget-me-nots will give a long lasting display.
Autumn is the best time to move shrubs or plant new ones. The roots have time to establish before winter and they will be more resilient to dry conditions we may have next year. After working in organic matter to enrich the soil, I water the plant and planting hole before planting, and water well after planting, as our clay soil is so dry. It’s also the best time to divide or plant new perennials. There are often bargains to be found where perennials have finished flowering and garden centres want to clear space for new stock. Choose new plants that give you more than one season of interest and support wildlife by providing nectar, berries and habitat.
I keep reading that with our changing climate we can grow plants that would not previously have survived our winters and certainly exotics seem to be increasingly popular. However, I will still be moving tender plants indoors, including agapanthus, ‘hardy’ salvias and dahlias. Insulate well any tropical plants that are too large to move.
Lawns may need an autumn feed to revive them – you can also leave grass cuttings. Spiking will improve drainage in areas that will become wet. Collect fallen leaves for leaf mould – especially useful to top up pots of acid loving plants like camellias, azaleas, and rhododendrons through the year. Leave leaf and log piles and garden cuttings for wildlife.
As you tidy the garden, collect your own seeds but also leave seed heads for birds and hollow stems for insects during the winter. They also look beautiful when they are frosted. Garden tools will need some maintenance at the end of the season – a job for a rainy day?
Plants for Oct & Nov: chrysanthemum, grasses, aster, Japanese anemone, colchicum, cyclamen, acer, hydrangea, nerine, viburnum tinus, sumach, sorbus, parthenocissus
Carolyn Jenkins