Autumn is the time of year for gathering leaves (a lot of them), chopping back your plants and essentially putting your garden into hibernation for the winter. But did you know that there are plenty of other things you can do in your garden right now to get it ready for next year? It doesn’t all have to be shut down and hidden away until the warmer weather sets in again.
We’ve put together a few ideas for you and your garden so that you can get busy preparing for next year and also feel inspired about creating a garden that’s glorious all year round.
Bare Root Season
If you think you need to wait until spring to get planting, then it’s time to throw out your autumn gardening rule back. This time of year (all the way through until March) is perfect for planting bare root plants in your garden. These dormant plants usually have well-established root systems so they establish much faster than your pre-potted plants. They’re also much cheaper, so you can save a lot of money if you’re trying to stock up your garden.
Move your plants around
Maybe you’re having a re-think about your garden layout? Autumn is the perfect time of for digging up your existing plants and moving them to new spots. Most plants fall into a dormant stage during autumn and winter, but there’s still enough warmth underneath the top layer of soil at this time of year so they won’t be shocked by a move. Your plants spend the winter putting all their energy into growing their roots, so a move now means that they’ll be well established by the time it gets to spring.
Hedges and trees
This time of year is also great for thinking about installing new hedges. They have ample time to establish roots so that by the time spring comes, you’ll see good growth and plenty of foliage. Some of the most popular varieties of hedges include Red Robin, Leylandii, Firethorn and Privet . A mixture of leaves, berries, flowers and colours will give your garden depth – all of these have dense foliage and give all year round colour and character to your garden.
Rich autumn colours
If you want some inspiration for next autumn (we’re big on planning ahead), then there’s nothing better than visiting some local public gardens for ideas. Exbury Gardens is stunning at this time of year and perfect for immersing yourself in the colours, smells and sounds of the autumn garden. Rich red hues and burnt bronzes can be seen on the Acer, Swamp Cypress and Nyssa trees. This handy guide will give you some ideas of how you can incorporate these colours into your own garden.
Autumn gardening is about getting back to basics and planning ahead. It’s all too easy to forget about your garden until the weather is better and you want to use it. But to really get the most out of your outdoor space, getting the basics right during the autumn season means that your garden will be full of colour and character when spring finally arrives. If you need some help, we’re always on-hand to advise you [email protected]