Autumn in the Garden

With the Autumn Equinox falling towards the end of September, briefly, the hours of light and dark are in perfect equilibrium before that balance tips in favour of the darker hours. September may mark the end of our glorious long summer, but instead of mourning summer’s end, we should celebrate and embrace the onset of autumn. With its blazing colours, bountiful harvests and cooler weather, it leads us gently into the harshness of the winter months ahead.

Trees and shrubs known for putting on a spectacular autumn show include Japanese maples or Acer palmatum. Coming in various different colours, they are typically compact and slow growing so are good for small and large gardens alike. Rowans or Sorbus aucuparia not only offer magnificent leaves, but beautiful berries too. Liquidambar styraciflua or Sweet Gum is a large, but rather inconspicuous tree for most of the year, but its maple shaped leaves are spectacular before they drop.

 

If you have been inspired by the autumn leaves all around, now is the perfect time of year to plant new trees.  The soil should be damp and warm enough for roots to grow a little more before the colder weather arrives. Once planted, give the new tree a good soak. Repeat this weekly until the ground is wet or the autumn leaves have fallen.

As ever in gardening, planning ahead is key. Here are some jobs for September and October:

• Plant spring bulbs. Snowdrops, daffodils, crocus, hyacinths and tulips can be planted in either pots or beds ready to flower in spring next year. They will be in the Garden Centre now for the best choice.
• Summer bedding in your hanging baskets and containers looking past its best? Replace these with autumn pansies and violas, heathers, trailing ivy and chrysanthemums for colour and interest to take you all the way through winter.
• Scarify then aerate your lawn before applying a specific autumn lawn feed. Raise the blades on your mower. You can keep cutting your lawn as long as it is still growing. Now is the ideal time to plant a new lawn from either seed or turf, or to repair any damaged patches.
• As leaves fall on your lawn, rake them up or use a leaf blower to remove them. If left, the leaves can damage the grass beneath.
• Protect fences and sheds over winter by giving them a coat of paint whilst the weather remains dry and warm.
• Cover ponds with netting to stop leaves falling into the water. Too much debris can encourage algae and weeds to grow causing oxygen levels drop. This can be dangerous for the fish in your pond.
• If you do not have a water butt, buy one now to start collecting water over the wetter months. If you already have one, remember to give the inside a clean before it fills up again.

   

 

Leave a Comment Related Posts