Julia Bradbury gives her favourite autumn gardening tips to keep your __garden looking great through the cooler months.
This is one of my favourite times of year, ideal for walking: bracing but colourful. The leaves are turning, the evenings are drawing in and there’s a fresh bite in the air. Perfect bonfire weather.
This is the time to show your __garden some love – and if you show your love now you’ll get it back fourfold in the spring. It’s like lending a fiver and getting back £20.
- Clear up the leaves. They don’t just look messy, they can wreck your lawn. Leaves don’t decompose as quickly as we’d like and they can smother the grass which will, in turn, impede growth. Fallen leaves also provide cover for ground-dwelling mammals such as mice and moles (that like to dig holes). Ignore them too long and you may find yourself stumbling on some unexpected trip hazards hidden under there. Ever since my time living in Los Angeles I’ve never understood leaf blowers – they just blast the leaves around noisily. I prefer a handsome wooden rake (try Rudd’s Rakes in Dufton Cumbria for a handmade beauty).
- Plant your spring bulbs. It might seem strange to be planting anything this late in the year but it actually makes sense. You can get impressive results for little effort. Tulips are ideal to plant now. But it’s not just the season for bulbs, it’s also a great time to think about planting a small apple tree. A year from now, you could be eating your own delicious fruit or making your own apple juice or cider. You don’t even need to buy an expensive press – two sheets of plywood, a car jack and some straw make an excellent substitute.
- Prune your roses – and your raspberries. Colour and scent lift any garden but, if left unchecked, climbing roses can become tangled and scrappy. If you prune them now they will flower well in spring through to summer. Remove dead or damaged branches. And if you do just one other thing in the garden, get on top of your weeds.
- Don’t forget to feed the birds. Birdsong is one of the greatest things about the British countryside. But food is scarce for those birds that don’t migrate. Putting out fresh food and water is vital. In colder weather, try and feed them twice a day. Establish a pattern that wild birds can follow – once in the morning and again in the early afternoon. Make sure you don’t run out of food but don’t allow uneaten food to accumulate and begin to rot. Fat balls are a brilliant food source for them. If you have a cat, make sure they can’t pounce on your bird table – a holly bush round the base should be enough to deter them.
- Look after your lawn. It’s important to care for your grass, even at this time of year. If there is one thing that lets down a garden, it’s a neglected lawn. Your local garden centre can advise you on the best tonic or feed for your grass. But most of all, get out there and enjoy your garden.
Find more information on NFU Mutual at nfumutual.co.uk
