Getting outdoors doesn’t need to stop in autumn; there are lots of things that can be done in the garden at your leisure over the autumn and winter months.
Choose a nice bright day, it can be very uplifting to get out in the fresh air and even more rewarding to sit back with a hot drink and admire your work!
If you are working from home at the moment, a few minutes out in the garden can be a refreshing change of scenery.
Things that can be done in the garden now:
Get Planting
Create your own amazing planted container or hanging basket that will keep flowering throughout the winter and into spring if watered, fed and deadheaded regularly.
Onion and garlic sets are easy to grow and can be planted from October, they will overwinter and get a head start in the spring.
Tidy the Garden
Rake any fallen leaves off the lawn (they can kill patches of grass if left) and away from paths and the patio as they will become slippery. Leaves can be composted or left in a pile in a corner for wildlife.
Bring any tender plants indoors such as geraniums, tender herbs (basil, chives, cilantro, dill, mint, parsley, and tarragon), chilli, citrus plants and olive trees. They can go in a greenhouse, conservatory or inside the home, on a windowsill or near a window.
Mow the lawn for the final time and use a half moon tool to tidy us the border divide and patio edges. Now is a good time to weed and feed the lawn and seed any bare patches. Read our Autumn Lawn Care guide for more details.
Remove any dead leaves and collapsed stems from perennials from your beds, borders or containers. You can do this by hand or with secateurs. Leave any stems that have attractive seed heads for winter interest.
Remove weeds and spread compost or well rotted manure over the soil to enrich and insulate plant roots
Clear all spent crops from the vegetable patch – leaving them to rot can encourage pests and diseases. Beans and peas roots can be left in the soil to feed next years crops but cut off anything above ground level.
Help Wildlife
If you have bird feeders, take them all down and give them a good clean to save spread of disease. If you don’t feed your garden birds, consider purchasing a feeder and some food – providing an extra food source, particularly over the winter months can really help them. There’s lots more information in our ‘How to’? Attract Birds to your Garden
Leave a leaf pile where it will be undisturbed – they make perfect hibernation sites for hedgehogs and toads.
Leave dead seed heads on plants for the birds to enjoy.
Plant a bare root tree or hedge – a cheap and effective way to create hedging or a single tree, the best time of year to plant bare root is between November and March. Wildlife friendly trees like hawthorn, alder and blackthorn can be purchased for as little as £1.49
The main thing is just to get outdoors, breathe in the fresh air, get a little exercise and most importantly – enjoy!!
