Things to do in your garden in October

The days are getting shorter and it’s cool and damp out there, but by way of compensation there are glorious autumn colours out there.

It’s a month of change in the garden and there’s lots to look forward to as the season changes. These are some of the things to do in your garden in October.

Rake up leaves

Maybe not your idea of fun, but leaves can be turned into leaf-mould which your garden will love and repay you with healthier happier plants.

Simply gather them up and pen them in a chicken-wire structure, they don’t even need a cover. If this type of container seems a bit ambitious, storing them in bin-liners with holes in will do. It takes about 2-3 years to be ready, but if you do it every year you eventually have an annual supply. It’s sustainable too, which makes us very happy.

Prune climbing roses:

• Cut out any dead or diseased stems
• Prune side-shoots that have flowered by two-thirds
• Tie in new growth, it flowers better if it grows horizontally rather than vertically

Tuck-up tender plants:

Move tender plants like Pelargonium and Eucomis into an un-heated greenhouse, cool porch before the frosts come and do their damage.

Plant bulbs:

There are masses to choose from, tulips, crocus, muscari, tiny Iris reticulata and daffodils. You’ll be so glad you did this next year, they make such a cheery sight. I like to plant mine in pots and it’s nice to have  few small extra pots to give away.

Plant trees and shrubs:

This is a perfect month for planting trees and shrubs, the soil is still warm and damp so they have the chance to extend their roots which will stand them in good stead next spring.

Have a look here at this earlier post for more information about planting spring flowering bulbs.

This post is all about planting up pots to last through winter.

Happy gardening.

Jill

all images: Jill Anderson