Many of us are itching to get into the garden now the weather is a little cooler. Autumn is a great time to plan and plant for next year, but it is easy to be a bit too enthusiastic, or to focus on the wrong things.
If you want to get your garden looking glorious and get it off to the best start in the spring, here are some of the classic errors to avoid.
1. CUTTING BACK FLOWERS TOO SOON
The old wisdom used to be that autumn was the time to tidy the garden, cutting back unruly plants and making the borders look spick and span.
These days, however, it is generally agreed that it is better to leave plants alone for as long as possible. Not only do dried flowerheads look pretty when the first frosts come, covering them in a dusting of ice, but they also provide vital food and habitats for wildlife. It is also better for soil to keep it covered over winter, rather than leaving it bare and risk erosion.
Not only do dried flowerheads look pretty when the first frosts come, covering them in a dusting of ice, but they also provide vital food and habitats for wildlife
Wait to cut back dead plant material until the end of winter when the first new shoots are poking through. Neil Miller, head gardener at Hever Castle in Kent, advises: ‘A lot of people hack their perennials back in the autumn to make it tidy, but don’t do this – it’s an essential habitat for wildlife in the winter – so don’t get over excited.
Don’t clear your border, don’t pick up all the leaves – spiders like to live there. Leave the spring clean for spring.’
2. LETTING WEEDS GET OUT OF CONTROL
While we don’t want to be too tidy in our gardens, we also don’t want to let weeds get out of control now damper weather is here. The wet conditions are perfect for them to thrive. Keeping on top of weeds now will save you a headache next spring.
Hoe out annual weeds as soon as they appear. More tenacious perennials such as bindweed and ground elder call for a more radical approach. In the worst cases you might need to clear a bed and dig out every trace.
Alternatively, continue to pull out weeds to ground level whenever you spot them and over time they will weaken.
3. MISSING THE WINDOW FOR PLANTING PERENNIALS
Autumn is the best time to put in new plants, followed by spring, so don’t miss this crucial window. The ground is still warm, but moisture levels are higher than in summer, giving plants the best chance to establish and put down roots before winter arrives.
Go to the garden centre with a plan in mind rather than impulse buying. Think about what gaps you have in your borders and what plants would work best there. Do you need shade-loving specimens or flowers that will do well in a dry, sunny spot?
Make sure to prepare the ground well before planting, and water plants in.
4. BUYING MORE PLANTS THAN YOU HAVE TIME AND SPACE FOR
Although this is a great season to add new herbaceous plants to your garden, don’t succumb to the temptation to buy too many
Although this is a great season to add new herbaceous plants to your garden, don’t succumb to the temptation to buy too many.
Many plants will be on sale now as garden centres switch over to their winter stock and make room for Christmas decorations, but that’s not a reason to buy everything in sight. It will be a false economy if they remain in their pots in a corner of your garden and die over winter because you don’t have the time or space to plant them.
5. ASSUMING YOU HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL SPRING TO SOW SEEDS
Many of us think of spring as the best time for sowing seeds, and it is true that it’s not ideal to do this in the middle of winter when the temperature and light levels are too low for them to germinate.
But it is a great idea to get ahead by sowing seeds in early to mid-autumn. That way the seedlings will have time to put on enough growth to enable them to survive over winter in a greenhouse, cold frame or even on a sunny windowsill, ready to plant out in spring.
Poppies, sweet peas, Ammi majus and larkspur can all be started now for a display next year.
6. FORGETTING TO ORDER BULBS BEFORE SUPPLIES RUN OUT
As one growing season draws to a close, it’s time to think about planting bulbs for flowers next spring. You can buy these from garden centres and even supermarkets, but for the best, most reliable bulbs it is best to go to specialist providers such as Peter Nyssen, J. Parkers or Bloms Bulbs. Hurry though, as supplies of favourites such as Narcissus Tete-a-Tete, and Queen of the Night and Belle Epoque tulips are likely to run out if you leave it too late.
Neil Miller, head gardener at Hever Castle in Kent
7. PLANTING TULIPS TOO EARLY
Most spring bulbs can go in the ground from September, but tulips should be planted later in the autumn, ideally from mid-November. Wait until the first frosts when the soil has cooled down as this helps to prevent the spread of viruses and Botrytis tulipae which causes the fungal disease tulip fire leading to brown spots and twisted leaves.
‘Autumn is a great time to plant bulbs like daffodils and crocus in September and October – but DO NOT plant your tulips in October, we wait to plant our tulips and hyacinths later in early November. If you plant these too early, they have more of a tendency for disease. So don’t plant all your bulbs in one go,’ advises Miller.
8. NOT PICKING UP LEAVES
It’s important to pick leaves up off the ground before wet-wintry weather turns them into sludge
It won’t be long until the leaves on deciduous trees turn to autumnal shades of gold, orange and russet before falling. Beautiful as this display is, it’s important to pick them up off the ground before wet-wintry weather turns them into sludge. This can be both a slip hazard and, if left on flower borders, can stifle plants.
Gather them up using a leaf picker, or between two thin sheets of hardboard, then store in a bin made from wire mesh, or in large plastic bags. They will rot down to form leaf mould, which can then be added back to beds as a nutrient-rich mulch.
9. NEGLECTING YOUR LAWN
If your lawn has suffered in the summer heat, autumn is the time to repair it. A little attention now will prevent grass from becoming a muddy mess over winter.
Choose a dry day and begin by scarifying your lawn using a spring-tined rake to rake out thatch. You can add this to the compost heap. Next aerate it by spiking with a garden fork every foot or so.
If there are bare patches, reseed these from mid-September, when the soil is moist enough to give the grass a chance to establish before the days become too short. Then add a top dressing, a mix of sandy loam, good-quality top-soil, sand, and well-rotted organic matter such as leaf mould or peat-free compost.
You will need around 4 to 8lb for each square metre. Brush or rake it into the soil and if needed overseed with more grass seed. Then water well if there is no rain forecast.
Take a hot cup of tea or coffee out into the garden and sit and enjoy the last rays of sunshine of the year
10. LETTING PLANTS GET WIND DAMAGE
Autumn often brings more unsettled weather which can wreak damage on plants. Where possible, guard against this by staking. Depending on the plant you can either use a single stake, or for bushier types buy circular supports or make your own using three or more canes tied together with twine. The main pruning of roses should be done over winter, but it is beneficial to remove straggly growth as soon as they have finished flowering to prevent wind-rock, which can damage the roots of the plant.
11. PRUNING AT THE WRONG TIME
Most trees and shrubs should not be pruned in autumn, as they won’t have enough time to recover. Wait until winter and early spring to cut back most deciduous trees and shrubs, as by this time they will be able to put their energy into regrowth. Shrubs in flower now such as buddleia, fuchsias, hydrangeas and spireas should be cut back in early spring just before new growth appears. Evergreens in need of shaping are also best left.
Miller says: ‘We leave our pruning to late winter, early spring, if you prune trees and shrubs in the autumn and the weather is still mild it will promote new growth, then when that comes out and you have frosts or early snow) the bad weather will collar the plants. So don’t be too hasty.’
Don’t forget to look at your garden in the autumn. Take a moment to look at what’s worked for you, and don’t forget to look at the colours around you
12. LEAVING ANNUALS IN THE GROUND
While it is best to leave perennials in place until the end of winter, annual plants such as cosmos, impatiens and begonias need to be dug up or removed from pots over autumn. These are plants that only last for one growing season and if you leave the dead material where it is, there is more chance of bacteria and diseases spreading in the garden.
13. WALKING ON YOUR BORDERS AND GRASS
As the weather turns wetter, where possible stick to walking on paths and patios.
‘Be careful walking on borders and your grass in wetter weather because it can cause compaction and damage,’ warns Miller. If you really need to get into the middle of a border, use a wooden plank placed on top of the soil to distribute your weight more evenly, but be careful not to squash surrounding plants.
14. NOT STOPPING TO APPRECIATE YOUR GARDEN
Autumn is one of the most beautiful seasons in the garden, when spiders webs on tall grasses glisten in the golden light, and the tree canopy puts on a magnificent display.
Take a hot cup of tea or coffee out into the garden and sit and enjoy the last rays of sunshine of the year.
‘Don’t forget to look at your garden in the autumn. Take a moment to look at what’s worked for you, and don’t forget to look at the colours around you,’ says Miller.
