Coleus

Autumn garden and allotment tips

By Jonathan Reynolds

Gardening

05 November 2009 15:00

If you’re anything like me venturing out into the garden or down to your allotment plot is that little bit more difficult now the cold chill is setting in.

That said, this year the weather has been remarkably mild so there’s no excuse not to get outside and get on with those all important autumnal tasks. Don’t put off til tomorrow what you can do today - there’s lots to do. Here’s just a few things to keep you busy:


 

Garden

  • Prune your climbing roses and tie in any new shoots
  • Cut back perennials
  • Clear up fallen leaves regularly
  • Plant spring bulbs including daffodils, crocuses, irises and hyacinths and in late October, early November, tulips
  • Sow some spring flowers including Anenome, Coleus and Laurentia
  • Sow sweet peas in a cold frame to ensure early flowering in spring next year


 

Allotment

Harvest any remaining crops. Carrots and parsnips can be over wintered but remember to protect with fleece or straw in colder areas.

  • Plant out garlic, broad beans and autumn onion sets, ensuring the plot has been well dug and thoroughly weeded.
  • Sow green manure in southern areas
  • Cut down autumn raspberries to soil level.
  • Net brassicas against peckish pigeons

On top of all of that, don’t forget to feed the birds, especially if it starts to get really cold. When the ground is cold many birds will die of hunger.

There is a lot more to be done than I’ve mentioned here, but the important thing is only to do as much as you feel like doing. If you try and do everything at once, particularly if you’re new to gardening, you may lose your motivation. For those of you whose thumbs are well and truly green, the above will just be a small part of what you’ll be up to in the garden this autumn.

Everyone has a different approach, so don't treat my musings as the garden oracle; add your own tips or suggest other solutions below or in the forum.