As the summer holidays come to an end, it can feel like the garden is over but there’s still much to look forward to. Word has it that this year’s weather conditions are going to make for a riot of Autumn colour. I’m hoping for walks under high, clear skies, with cosy gatherings around the firepit!
Plants to enjoy now
As leaf tones change and the light quality softens, some plants are reaching their peak. My favourites include: Sedum / Hylotelephium (especially a rich pink variety called ‘Autumn Joy’); Japanese Anemones, Hydrangea Pinky Winky (with its cone-shaped, white to pink flower heads) and Rosa Nitida (the hips of which glow like fairy lanterns). I recommend watching the September 2021 Chelsea Flower Show on iPlayer for more inspiration.
5 Autumn jobs in the garden
1 Resist the urge to have a big tidy up. Many plants, such as grasses, long-flowering perennials and hydrangeas create beautiful winter ‘skeletons’ that look fabulous covered in frost. As well as providing architectural interest, they also offer much needed habitats for insects and the slow die-back of foliage releases valuable nutrients into the soil. You can, however, get busy tidying up hedges, removing black spotted leaves from roses, dead heading, pruning lavender and collecting ripe fruit.
2 Rake up fallen leaves. It’s a great workout for the core! If you have storage room, pop them into a bin, cage or black sack to rot down to form leaf mould for mulching borders.
3 Care for the lawn. Rake, aerate and feed your lawn, or call in the services of an expert lawncare firm, such as Lawnmaster.
4 Order lots of bulbs! Bulb planting is such a joy. And it’s a hopeful thing to do, bringing to mind images of spring to come. I like to layer tulips and narcissi between seams of soil in pots. I also enjoy naturalising crocus and narcissi in lawns and planting camassias and alliums in borders.
5 Get planting. Autumn is a great time to plant new shrubs and trees. The soil has been warmed all year and should have had some rainfall too, making conditions ideal.
For more garden inspiration, follow Laura’s Gardens on Facebook @laurasgardensuk and Instagram @laurasgardens
Lawncare branch that covers Redhill and Reigate: www.lawnmaster.co.uk/lawn-care/west-sussex/