October Garden Guide

Gardening Jobs & Maintenance | Flowers To Plant & Flowers In Bloom
Allotment Jobs | October Gardening Tips

October is the time of year when the air turns crisp, the leaves change colour, and the days grow noticeably shorter. This is the month for final garden preparations, ensuring you can savour your garden’s beauty before the first frosts arrive.

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General Garden Jobs & Maintenance

In October, begin by trimming back shrubs and deadheading faded flowers to encourage new growth. Don’t forget to rake up fallen leaves to keep pests at bay. If you spot any pesky bugs, tackle them right away to ensure your garden stays healthy as we head into the colder months.

Lawn Care | Aerate and scarify your lawn. It’s a cost-effective alternative to laying new turf. 

Mulch Border | Apply a layer of mulch to flower beds to retain moisture and suppress weeds.

Collect Seeds | Autumn is the perfect time to collect seeds. Many plants and trees release their seeds during this season. The cooler weather and shorter days signal the end of the growing season, making it ideal for gathering seeds to plant for stunning blooms next year.

Keep Covered | It’s always worth investing in a good furniture cover to keep your garden furniture protected from the turning weather. 

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Plants

October is perfect for planting spring bulbs like fritillaries, alliums, and grape hyacinths. Autumn is the season for planting bare-root trees & roses to allow them to establish during the cooler month. However, for quick colour, cyclamen and salvias are blooming now.

Flowers in Bloom | Dahlias, Asters, Marigolds, Sedums, Nerines, Hydrangeas, Anemones and Fuchsias

Flowers To Plant | Sweet Peas, Astrantia, Campanula, Geraniums, Persicaria, Pulmonaria, Rudbeckia and Sedum

Plant Spring Bulbs | This is the ideal time to plant spring-flowering bulbs like crocuses daffodils, and tulips. They need the cold winter months to bloom in the warmth of spring.

Rehome Tender Perennials | Dig up tender perennials such as dahlias to protect them from the frost. Store them in a cool, dry place until spring.

Blooms for Christmas | For colourful blooms in time for Christmas, begin to force your hyacinth and amaryllis bulbs indoors.

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Allotment Jobs

October is a busy month on the allotment. It’s the perfect time to plant garlic, onions, and broad beans for an early spring harvest. Don’t forget to tidy up fallen leaves and mulch your beds to protect them from frost. Keep an eye on your winter crops like kale and spinach, ensuring they’re well-watered and healthy.

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October Tips

• Tip 1 | Now is the time to order bare-root fruit bushes and trees to establish well when planted in autumn.
• Tip 2 | Also consider planting bare-root roses now, buying bare-root is a cost-effective alternative to buying a larger plant later in the year.
• Tip 3 | Prepare new beds by clearing out old plants and digging over the soil to prepare for spring bulbs.
• Tip 4 | Use cloches or fleece to shield young plants from early frosts.

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