After something of a lull in late Summer, activity in the Garden in Early Autumn picks up the pace, and there are plenty of garden jobs to do. Days may be warm especially if there’s an ‘Indian Summer’ but nights can be chilly and the following morning often arrives with a heavy dew.
The Autumn Garden has lots of colour interest from late-blooming perennials, to seedheads, fruits and berries – truly a “season of mists and mellow fruitfulness”
This month is an ideal time to action two ‘projects’
- The construction of a Compost Bin ……. if you haven’t already got one. Ideally the compost bin needs to be roughly 1-metre square to work efficiently. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, a 3-sided framework of wooden pallets will do. Or try knocking 4 wooden posts into the ground and wrap 3 sides with chicken wire. Line the inside of the ‘walls’ with flattened cardboard boxes.
- Get a Greenhouse Whilst you may have concluded Spring was the optimal time to build one, in fact, the Autumn is ideal. It will give you, amongst other things,
- space to over-winter plants
- the opportunity to raise Alpines which like the cold weather but hate the water logged conditions of many winter gardens
- bring spring bulbs on to flower a bit earlier
- grow some winter salad leaves, etc
- a place to potter in inclement weather😊
SEPTEMBER IN THE GARDEN
15+ JOBS TO DO IN YOUR GARDEN IN EARLY AUTUMN
IN THE KITCHEN GARDEN
- Sow lettuce
- Plant out Spring Cabbage and Spring Greens
- Earth up Brussel Sprouts, Kale and Leeks
- Harvest Onions planted in the Spring – when the tops begin to yellow and bend over. Leave them to dry on racks and protected from damp
IN THE FRUIT GARDEN
- Plant out Strawberry Runners
- Cover Autumn fruiting Strawberries in cold weather and protect from pests
- Plan any additions to your fruit trees. Order for delivery this Autumn
LAWN CARE
- Brush early morning dew off the lawn to aid drying before mowing
- Scarify lawns to remove thatch
- Top dress with lawn sand
THE FLOWER GARDEN
- Cut down stems of perennials that have finished flowering unless you want to leave the seedheads for decorative purposes
- Start planting Spring Bulbs – read these tips for Choosing Spring Bulbs
- Replant containers that are past their best with your planned winter display
GENERAL MAINTENANCE
- Clear leaves from lawns and where they are smothering plants
- Check the ties and stakes of trees and plants that need support
- Water the garden in dry weather, especially any newly sown/laid lawns
- Clear the greenhouse and cold frames of dead and dying plants
EARLY AUTUMN GARDEN TASKS
I love Autumn for the colours it brings. I especially love the lower angle of the sun which lights up whole plants with its slanting rays. The days are warm enough to make gardening a joy rather than unpleasantly hot. And there is still plenty of time to build a compost bin, construct a greenhouse or completely redesign the garden.
If you’ve ever read 6 Small Garden Design Lessons-Learnt – you’ll understand the importance of taking a step back every once in a while to assess your garden. If not, take 5 minutes for this quick but helpful read.
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