Keen gardeners will know that there are always things to do in order to keep your garden beautiful, lush and growing as it should, but autumn does signal a slowdown in the chores that are required. With summer drawing to a close, there are a number of tasks to do to finish off your harvest for the year as well as to ensure you’re set for next spring and summer.
1. Prepare for Next Year
It might be tempting to surrender to the darkening days, but the most important thing about autumn in your garden is that you’re preparing for next year, and you’ll be doing yourself a few favours for next summer by being prepared.
2. Start Sowing for Next Year
Autumn is the perfect time to start sowing, especially as some flowers will need the winter chill to bloom in the spring. Some varieties of lilies, like the bulbous Asiatic and Oriental will not produce any blooms without spending the winter in the ground. You can also play a bit of garden roulette by throwing seeds of your hardiest annuals in the general areas where you’d like them to bloom next year.
3. Nourish Your Garden
Make sure to nourish your garden by spreading leaves in your flower beds. Use maple leaves, birch and beech leaves, and the leaves of other small trees, by spreading them around the bases of your smaller shrubs and any other exposed soil. They will decompose into brilliant minerals; the nutrients your plants will need over the winter. Then just wait for the worms to do the rest of the work by turning the leaves into fertilizer.
4. Purchase Tough Winter Plants
This time of year is also good for saving a bit of money. If you can find some, you’ll be able to purchase deciduous flowering shrubs when they’re in the sales without having to worry about how they’ll do over the winter; they’ll be fine in the colder soil. You’ll also be able to stock up on some of your favourite products before they are replaced with other seasonal (or even Christmas) products!
5. Create Decorative Baskets
This is the time of year when typical vegetable harvests include carrots, parsnips, swedes and pumpkins. You can also use some of the leafier greens to create decorative baskets to showcase the results of your green thumb!
6. Enjoy Winter Varieties
If you’ve not managed to grow a vegetable garden over the summer, fear not! You’ll find that this time of year lends itself to growing a few varieties and you’ll be able to plant before the cold really makes it impossible. Leaves like spinach, winter lettuce, and winter cress should be able to grow quickly and provide you with a few summery flavours before the brightly coloured produce of summer slowly disappears for another year. This is also the time of year to think about planting bulbs for garlic, as well as starting broad beans, asparagus, and number of varieties of lettuce.
7. Prepare Tools for Winter
Finally, as you’ve prepared your plants, prepare your tools by making sure they’re cleaned before they’re stored for winter. Pack everything away neatly in one spot so that when your garden needs your attention next spring you’ve got everything at hand.
Bill Weston writes on a number of topic including gardening and home removals. If you’re looking for a removal company, you can find more information here: http://residential.bishopsmove.com/about-us/index.htm
