SERIES: Jobs in the Garden - October 2022

Autumn has arrived in all of its wonderful golden glory. The weather starts to turn a little chillier, but the crisp, blue-sky days are ideal for tidying up and cutting back the garden. It’s also time to fetch the rake out and gather up those fallen leaves. You could even make use of them by collecting them up to create your own leaf mould.

Below is a list of jobs to keep on top of this month:

1. It’s the last chance to mow the lawns and trim the hedges in mild areas before the cold and frosts set in.

2. Use a fleece or bring your half-hardy plants into a frost-free greenhouse to protect them from the colder weather.

3. Whilst the soil is still warm, divide herbaceous perennials.

4. Add some winter colour into your garden and plant cheery pot displays filled with heathers, cyclamen and winter pansies.

5. Empty spent summer pots and hanging baskets and compost the old contents.

6. You can continue to plant spring bulbs in the still-warm ground. This gives them the longest possible growing time ahead of next year.

7. Harvest apples, pears, grapes and nuts.

8. Sweep up any fallen leaves and use them to make your own leaf mould for the garden.

9. Prune any climbing roses once they have finished flowering. Make sure to tie in the stems to prevent any wind damage.

10. Harvest your squashes and pumpkins. Turn them into a yummy meal or use them for a fun autumn display.

11. Move tender plants into the greenhouse to protect them from early frosts.

12. Aerate your lawn with a garden fork to avoid waterlogging and compaction over winter.

13. Create a compost bin for collecting fallen leaves and dead plant material.