The record-breaking heatwaves of the summer become a distant memory this week as proper autumnal weather finally sets in.
For most of us, a slight chill is welcome news, but two named storms are expected to hit parts of the UK this weekend, threatening to bring downpours, strong winds and even snow in some places.
For those areas affected, it’s time to take down your hanging baskets, move lightweight items into shelter and keep an eye on official weather warnings.
For everyone else, it’s a good prompt to start preparing your garden for the colder months. After all, the first frost typically arrives in England and Wales from early November.
Guy Barter, the chief horticulturist at the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), has shared his top tips for getting your garden ready.
1. Pick vegetables
‘Gather vegetables before rain and frost spoil them,’ Guy tells Metro.
‘Potatoes, pumpkins, squash and tomatoes are precious this year after dry spells have left crops rather light. Green tomatoes may ripen in a warm place unless too green, in which case green tomato chutney can avoid wasting them. Leftover cucumbers can make tasty pickle.’
Root vegetables can be left in the ground until December, the expert explains.
‘After that cover carrots with cardboard to exclude frost and store beetroot, celeriac and turnips indoors in boxes of sand in cold regions. Parsnips and swedes shrug off frosts and can be left in place.’
Though there are not many fruit left at this time of year, any that you may have left must come inside the house now too, Guy says.
2.Trim your herbaceous plants, but don’t cut them back too early
Don’t cut back herbaceous plants too early just because they don’t look ‘attractive’ Guy warns, as they can actually look quite ‘dramatic’ covered in frost, so ‘don’t be in too much of a hurry to cut everything down’.
Evergreen plants, such as red hot pokers, should be left untrimmed, with dead leaves removed in spring.
Tender plants, such as pelargoniums, should be dug up and brought indoors for winter. If they’re growing in pots, move them to a bright, frost-free spot.
‘Canna rootstocks and dahlia tubers are also candidates to bring indoors,’ Guy adds. However, in milder regions, dahlias can survive winter outdoors in well-drained soil, potentially protected with a layer of bark chips to help guard against frost.
Bark chips can also help protect the base of fuchsia plants, Guy recommends. These can regrow after frost, provided the base of their stems hasn’t been killed by the cold.
3. Apply mulch
‘Once enough rain has fallen to deeply wet the soil, apply mulch wherever possible,’ Guy urges.
‘This will suppress weeds and help drought-proof the garden in case of more dry weather next year.
‘Wood and bark chips are ideal for hedges, shrubs and trees, while compost and composted manure are good for roses, beds and borders.’
4. Shelter your frost-sensitive plants
If you cannot bring your plants inside, potted ones like agapanthus or salvias need to be sheltered against walls.
For plants in the grounds, they need to be wrapped with fleece. ‘Ideally biodegradable or recycled, supported by some stakes,’ Guy notes.
‘Pack straw round banana plants for extra protection and exclude rain with a reclaimed plastic cap.’
5. Rake your leaves
Guy recommends raking your leaves up ‘from time to time to avoid them smothering border plants and lawns.’
He explains: ‘Raking them beneath trees and shrubs and preventing winds from dispersing them again with a covering of mulch is a simple way of recycling them into the soil where they will support worms and other soil organisms, increasing soil health.’
6. Patch bare areas with turves
Patch bare areas and worn edges of lawns, Guy advises. But he says to leave lawn seed sowing until spring.
‘Brush worm casts to avoid smearing. Worms have been scarce in the heat and drought, but these useful creatures will be more readily seen now.’
Five ways to make your garden wildlife-friendly this winter
Will McCallum, Executive Director, Greenpeace shares his advice with Metro on how to make your garden wildlife-friendly too.
1. Ditch the pesticides
‘Pesticides, such as glyphosate, have been used in the UK for decades and we’re now experiencing the consequences.
‘They might target weeds and pests but they also harm the soil and earthworms that keep them healthy and provide food for birds and hedgehogs.
‘The single biggest thing you can do to support your garden’s ecosystem in winter and all year round is to ditch the pesticides.’
2. Let it grow
‘The season change means that our grass is changing back from the dry and yellow we saw over the summer to long and green, while the leaves falling will gather in corners.
‘It might be tempting to get the lawn mower and the leaf blower out, but leaving things to support wildlife. Take a break this winter and leave your garden a little messier – and reap the benefits of the mini ecosystem it creates.’
3. Give wildlife a hand
‘Winter can be tough for garden wildlife. Keep bird feeders clean to prevent disease, provide fresh water when natural sources freeze, and consider putting a bell on your cat’s collar to give birds a better chance of escaping.’
4. Plan ahead
‘Hotter and drier summers are becoming the new normal for the UK. Plants that typically thrive in cool and wet environments may no longer last the year. Consider adding plants that don’t need lots of water to support biodiversity all year round.
‘Bonus tip: consider planting your Christmas tree instead of throwing it away!’
5. Go organic
‘Artificial fertilisers boost the nutrient content of soil far beyond natural levels. They exist to help crops grow, but this is a red herring. Their use prohibits wildflowers and slower-growing plants.
If you want to use fertilisers to promote growth in your garden, I’d recommend sticking only to organic fertilisers – and don’t use peat.’
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