Autumn has arrived!!! There are still quite a few plants to look at with the reddening leaves of the Liquid Amber tree, the purple berries of Callicarpa (Beauty Berry) and the pretty flowers of the Aster; we can still have lots of colour in our gardens.

There is work to be done and now is the time for the start of preparation for the Spring and Summer of next year!

The lawns will still need to be cut, even up to the end of the month, just take off the tips. They can also be treated now with a good weed and feed. This will strengthen the roots of the grass, and kill of any of those broad leaved weeds, if you can get one with added moss killer, even better.  Two weeks after application scarify the lawn and re-seed. There are fewer birds around now to eat all the seeds!!! If like the Spring there is no rain, you will need to give the lawn a good watering after 2-3 days.

Bulbs bought last month can now be planted. Add a handful of grit under the bulbs to give drainage; this will stop them from rotting. Look at the photographs or notes you took earlier on in the year, these will tell you where more colour is needed. And Plant away!!

Autumn is a great time to plant!! So look at your borders. Are there gaps which could do with more structure or colour for the Spring or Summer? Is your shady area quite dull? Add a variegated plant or two. For ground cover try a grass such as Hakonechloa macra, the yellow and green stripes will brighten up any dark spot or why not go for a perennial Creeping Dogwood (Cornus Canadensis) if the area is nice and moist. There are many plants that you could choose from. A shady area is an ideal place for a Himalayan Poppy (Meconopsis). These now come in two colours but my favourite is the traditional Electric Blue.  They come out in the Early Summer and once established will give you a fantastic show, but they must have lots of leaf mould dug into the ground (Annually). So if you are up for a challenge, give them a try. But don’t forget to water all plants once you have planted them.