Gardening Articles

In late autumn there are still so many things that need to be done in the garden, with ground to prepare and new shrubs, roses and hedging to plant. Tide up the garden by removing old crops and prepare the garden for the next plans.

This is the ideal time to start thinking and preparing a new plot for your next year vegetable. Dig over the site deeply while adding large quantities of well-rotted compost or manure. Grass can be dug in, turning it upside down in the base of a trench then covering it with soil to prevent re-growth. Plots that have been dug early can be left rough so that the frost and winter weather helps break down large lumps and birds can forage for soil pests.

Shorten days trigger big changes for deciduous, woody plants as they begin to shut down for the winter by shedding their leaves and getting prepared for cold weather. Autumn colors transform the garden, changing almost daily as the foliage of deciduous trees and shrubs puts on a final show before falling. Annuals die off with the first frost and herbaceous perennials appear dead as their tops die away.

But this is not the end in the garden. Even parts of the plant that have died and been discarded have a purpose. Fallen leaves, shredded prunings and other plant trimmings all have a future role in the garden, as they are gathered up and recycled. Composted, they will provide part of the food system that will feed next year's plants.

As we go by, we can say September is early autumn.

Let's have a look over our Green Zone. You may think that this season is one of the ugliest, because of the rains that start to fall, the days are getting shorter and the cold start to show in the mornings and evenings. But take the good side of things. It is exciting, because as we finish collecting the produce and start clearing away the remains of last season, we start making plans for the next seasons. The glorious autumn leaf colors of deciduous trees and shrubs will catch out eyes.