Autumn

The Autumn Garden

I was wandering around a local DIY shop this week having a look to see what new innovations have appeared recently. I’m always amazed at the ingenuity of people when it comes to making our lives that little bit easier in the garden. Of course a majority of things are pointless or you could make your own, and probably already do, for less. Recycled rubber on the other hand might be a bit fiddly to produce as you would need a shredder a little bit bigger than the ones used for chopping your twigs into compostable bits. Or would you? Maybe I can dig out some old car mats and have a go at creating some rubber mulch. I notice one company have formed their old tyre shreds into large circles with a hole in the centre and a slit through one half of the diameter. The shredded rubber has been glued together and then painted green and can be used as a permanent weed block mulching mat around your trees in the garden. They would be quite helpful for me as I tend to get a bit too close to the bark with my strimmer, so I just leave the couch grass to grow in an untidy manner around the stump. It’s amazing how easily a young tree can be killed with over zealous strimming.

Astro turf decking

Another new twist on an old product is decking planks inlaid with green astro turf. You can now have your decking to look like a lawn. I laid a few of them out in the shop to see the results and I was quite impressed (you are talking to someone right at the end of the grass cutting season though, ask me again in spring and I’ll tell you something totally different). What they would look like after a few years though after the sun has been on them I wouldn’t like to guess. Maybe they are not quite as long lived as the planks on their own.

No gadgets, just simple gardening

Novelties and new inventions aside, there are always loads of traditional gadget free things to be getting on with in the autumn garden.

• If you are like me and wear gloves most of the time it might be a good idea to get them washed and dried. They tend to get dirty at this time of year. If any of them have holes or tears, throw them into the compost bin. Many a cut finger comes from thinking the protection is there when it isn’t
• Have a look at your potted plants outside. You might find it’s time to redirect some of them to the compost heap. Any long lived perennials or shrubs could be repotted. The garden centres are stocking their winter pansies now if you need to replace anything.
• Trim back any ornamental trees that are getting too big. They have a habit of growing when we’re not looking – suddenly they’re much bigger than we thought. Assess each tree to decide whether it’s shading other plants too much, blocking light to the lawn or spreading where it shouldn’t. Options include removing lower branches to raise the canopy, pruning some branches to thin out the canopy and even removing the tree altogether. Fertilise the trees with some slow acting bonemeal. If the tree is too big already get in the professional tree surgeons.
• It’s always a good time of year to make a compost bin. Summer gives us grass clippings and autumn gives us fallen leaves. If you want a simple method of composting fill up old dustbin liner bags with the leaves adding a pint or two of water, tie securely and put them in a safe place out of the way behind the shed. Next year they will have rotted down and can be added to the garden as a mulch or soil improver.
• Autumn is a great time to do some rearranging in the garden. The days might be cooler but the soil is still warm. Most evergreen shrubs and perennials, as well as strappy clumping plants, will transplant happily, but leave deciduous plants until they are bare later in the year. Try to keep the top of the root ball level with the soil when you replant, and water well, even if it’s raining. Seaweed liquid fertiliser is an excellent tonic for transplants.

More jobs in brief

• Take hardwood cuttings of deciduous shrubs, including forsythia, philadelphus and weigela.
• Plant clematis and secure to supports.
• Cut back rose bushes by about one-third to help them withstand winter winds. Use the prunings as hardwood cuttings.
• Divide and replant overcrowded clumps of tough-rooted perennials such as hostas and hardy geraniums.
• Continue to plant bulbs, such as Iris, daffodils and tulips, for early spring flowering.
• Lift dahlias as soon as the foliage starts to yellow, or after the first frost, and store tubers.
• Sow sweet peas in a sunny, sheltered site for early flowering.
• Plant out wallflowers, Campanula medium, forget-me-nots and bellis daisy plants for spring.
As you are doing some of the autumn clean up jobs, take a look around to see what areas can be improved upon next year. If your mind wanders further and you come up with inventive new ideas for making the gardener’s life a bit easier, let me know, maybe we can have our innovations on the garden centre shelves next year.