October in the Garden

October is here, and the garden is beginning to take on that lovely autumn feel. The colours are changing, the mornings are cooler, and there’s a little less pressure to keep everything growing and flowering. But there’s still plenty to do before we settle into winter.

This month is all about planting for the future, making the most of what the garden gives us, and resisting the urge to tidy everything away. Here are a few jobs to keep you busy in the garden this October.

What to Do in the Garden in September

Plant up your garden

Autumn is a wonderful time to plant trees, shrubs and hardy perennials. The soil is still relatively warm, and the cooler weather and autumn rain help plants establish their roots before the growing season begins again in spring.

If you have gaps in your borders or have been planning to add something new to your garden, now is a great time to get planting. Think about adding structure with shrubs, introducing evergreen plants for winter interest, or filling gaps with hardy perennials that will return year after year.

It’s also a good opportunity to look around your garden and think about what you’d like to change or add next year. A little planning now can make all the difference come spring.

Sow hardy annuals

If you love a garden full of flowers, October is a good time to sow some hardy annuals. Autumn-sown plants can establish before winter and often flower earlier the following year than those sown in spring.

Some of my favourites include cornflowers, nigella, calendula and larkspur. They’re lovely additions to a cottage garden and provide plenty of colour, as well as valuable food for pollinators.

You can sow directly into prepared soil or start seeds in pots or modules in a sheltered spot, depending on the variety and your garden conditions. Just check the seed packet for specific sowing advice.

There’s something rather satisfying about sowing seeds now, knowing you’re already making a start on next year’s flowers.

Plant your spring bulbs

One of my favourite autumn jobs is planting spring bulbs. It’s easy to forget about them once the garden starts to wind down, but a little effort now will reward you with those first welcome splashes of colour after winter.

October is a great time to plant bulbs such as daffodils, crocuses, alliums and fritillaries. You can plant them in borders, naturalise them through grass or add them to pots near the house where you’ll be able to enjoy them as they emerge.

For a natural look, plant bulbs in informal groups rather than neat rows. And remember to plant at the depth recommended on the packet, usually around two to three times the bulb's height.

One important reminder: hold off planting tulips until November. Planting them later in autumn can help reduce the risk of tulip fire, a fungal disease that affects the leaves and flowers.

Now is the time to get those spring displays planned!

Make leaf mould

As the leaves begin to fall, try not to see them all as something that needs clearing away. Fallen leaves are a wonderful resource, and making leaf mould is a simple way to turn them into something useful for your garden.

Leaf mould is made from decomposed leaves and makes a lovely soil conditioner. It can help improve soil structure and moisture retention, and it’s particularly useful as a mulch around established plants.

Simply collect healthy fallen leaves and place them in a leaf-mould bin or a simple enclosure made from wire mesh. Moisten them if they’re dry, then leave nature to do the work. Shredding the leaves first can help them break down more quickly, but it isn’t essential.

It can take a year or two to produce that lovely, dark, crumbly leaf mould, so this is definitely a job that rewards patience.

I love the idea of using something the garden naturally provides to help nourish it in the future. It’s a simple, sustainable gardening habit worth getting into.

Don’t cut everything back

This is a reminder I think is worth repeating every autumn: you don’t need to cut everything back!

It can be tempting to tidy every border before winter, but leaving some spent flowers, stems and seed heads standing has real benefits for both the garden and its wildlife.

Seed heads can provide food for birds, while hollow stems and other plant material offer shelter and potential overwintering places for insects. They also add structure and interest to the garden when many of the flowers have disappeared.

Plants such as echinacea, rudbeckias, sedums and ornamental grasses can look beautiful left standing through autumn and winter, particularly when touched by frost.

Of course, there are still things worth cutting back, especially diseased foliage or anything that has flopped across paths. But there’s no need to make every border look immaculate.

A little untidiness can be a good thing, and leaving some stems standing is one of the easiest ways to make your garden more welcoming to wildlife over winter.

What's Happening in the Garden?

October is a month of transition.

• Autumn colours become more prominent as leaves turn golden

• Dahlias and other late-flowering perennials may still be providing colour

• Fallen leaves begin to gather beneath trees and shrubs

• Seed heads and ornamental grasses bring structure to the garden

• Birds make the most of berries and seeds left behind

• Spring bulbs are being planted, ready to emerge in the months ahead

  
  

The garden is beginning to wind down, but there is still plenty to enjoy and lots to look forward to.

Final thoughts

October is a lovely month to slow down a little and enjoy the changing seasons, while still making a start on next year's garden. Whether you're planting new additions, sowing seeds, getting bulbs into the ground or collecting leaves for leaf mould, these small jobs will help set your garden up for the months ahead.

And remember, you don't have to do everything. Leave a few seed heads standing, enjoy the autumn colours and take a moment to appreciate the garden as it is.

All my love, love from Donna 🌷