The Autumn Garden
Why now is the perfect time to prepare for a wonderful spring
There's something rather lovely about an autumn garden. The frantic growth of summer is slowing down, the colours are changing, and there's a certain satisfaction in harvesting the last of the vegetables and looking back at what we've achieved.
Of course, there's also the slightly less romantic business of clearing up fallen apples, rescuing plants from collapsing supports and wondering quite how the weeds managed to grow so enthusiastically while we weren't looking.
But autumn isn't simply the end of the gardening year. In many ways, it's the beginning of the next one. While everything above ground appears to be slowing down, there's still plenty happening beneath the soil. And a little attention now can make an enormous difference to how our gardens perform next year.
So, before you put away your gardening gloves, let's look at what we can do — and, just as importantly, what we might be better off leaving alone.
🌱 In a nutshell
Autumn is one of the best times to get ahead in the garden. Here are three things worth concentrating on: Plant: Spring bulbs, hardy shrubs, trees and suitable perennials can benefit from autumn planting. Prepare: Improve your soil, divide established plants and collect seeds for next year. Protect: Leave some seedheads, stems and fallen leaves to provide food and shelter for wildlife. You don't need to do everything. Even a few small jobs now can make a big difference next spring.
Why is autumn such a good time for planting?
You might think spring would be the obvious time to plant everything. After all, that's when the garden bursts into life. But autumn has some real advantages.
The soil is often still relatively warm from summer, while cooler air temperatures mean plants generally lose less water through their leaves. And, provided the soil isn't waterlogged or frozen, roots can continue growing even when there's relatively little happening above ground.
That means many hardy plants put into the ground in autumn have an opportunity to establish their root systems before the demands of spring growth begin. Think of it as giving them a head start.
Autumn is particularly suitable for planting many hardy trees, shrubs and perennials. It's also an excellent time to plant bare-root roses, hedging and fruit trees once they're dormant and available from nurseries.
There are exceptions, of course. If you garden on heavy clay that becomes waterlogged during winter, or in a particularly exposed location, some plants may establish more successfully in spring.
As always, it's a question of choosing the right plant, the right place — and the right time.
Plant some spring bulbs
If there's one autumn gardening job that delivers a particularly satisfying return on your effort, it's planting bulbs. A few hours spent planting in October and November can produce weeks of colour when the garden is just beginning to wake up. Many spring-flowering bulbs also need a period of cool temperatures to develop and flower normally. That's why we plant them in autumn rather than waiting until spring.
Daffodils are wonderfully reliable and come in an enormous range of shapes and sizes. I particularly like the smaller varieties, such as Narcissus 'Tête-à-Tête', which are lovely in pots or at the front of borders.
Crocuses are another favourite, especially when planted in generous groups beneath deciduous trees or in lawns. They provide some of the earliest splashes of colour and can be valuable to early pollinators.
For something a little different, try grape hyacinths (Muscari), the delicate blue flowers of Scilla siberica, or ornamental alliums, whose striking flowerheads bring height and structure to late spring and early summer borders.
And, of course, there are tulips. With so many colours and shapes available, they're almost impossible to resist.
What's happening inside a bulb?
You know how I love a bit of science, so let's look at how bulbs work.
Bulbs are mother nature showing how clever she is. Every bulb contains a miniature developing shoot and stored food reserves, allowing the plant to survive throughout the winter and begin growing when conditions improve. It's also worth remembering that this is why we must allow the plant foliage to die back naturally - that's when those essential food stores are being replenished.
Most bulbs should be planted at a depth of approximately two to three times their own height, although it's worth checking the requirements of individual species. This helps protect them from the cold and from those pesky squirrels. Planting to shallow can cause them to dry out or sprout too early. Choose firm, healthy bulbs and avoid planting them in waterlogged soil.
Daffodils and crocuses are generally planted during early to mid-autumn, while tulips are often best left until November, when cooler soil conditions can help reduce the risk of tulip fire disease.
One final tip: plant more bulbs than you think you need. Small groups can look rather lost, while generous drifts create a much stronger display. If you're planting in a lawn, try scattering them naturally rather than arranging them in neat rows.
Have you tried lasagne planting?
If you're planting bulbs in containers, there's a clever technique called lasagne planting that allows you to enjoy a succession of flowers from the same pot.
The idea is to plant several layers of bulbs at different depths, rather like making a lasagne. Larger, later-flowering bulbs, such as tulips, go towards the bottom, with daffodils or hyacinths above them and smaller, earlier-flowering bulbs, such as crocuses, nearer the surface.
As each variety comes into flower, the display changes, giving you weeks of colour from a single container. Just choose bulbs with different flowering times, use a deep pot with good drainage and make sure the bulbs have enough room to grow.
We'll be talking about autumn bulb planting at our next Happy Place Garden Project meeting, so bring along your questions, favourite varieties and any tips you've discovered.
Divide your perennials — and share the extras
Autumn is also a good time to divide many hardy herbaceous perennials, particularly those that have finished flowering and are beginning to die back.
If you've got an established clump that's becoming overcrowded, producing fewer flowers or developing a rather bare centre, dividing it can give it a new lease of life.
And the bonus? You get extra plants for other parts of the garden — or to give away.
Some good candidates for autumn division include:
Hardy geraniums: Many varieties spread into generous clumps and are easy to divide.
Hostas: Once the foliage begins to die back, established clumps can be lifted and separated.
Daylilies (Hemerocallis): These form substantial clumps that can be divided into smaller sections.
Astrantia: Established plants can be divided in autumn or spring, although they may take a little time to settle.
Other plants, including ornamental grasses and Japanese anemones, are generally better divided in spring, particularly in colder or wetter gardens.
How do you divide a perennial?
It's usually quite straightforward. Lift the plant carefully with a garden fork, trying to retain as much of the root system as possible.
Depending on the plant, you may be able to pull it apart by hand. For tougher clumps, two garden forks placed back-to-back can help prise the roots apart, or you can use a sharp spade. Make sure each new section has healthy roots and growing points, then replant promptly, water well and add a layer of mulch around the base. Don't worry if the divisions look rather unimpressive at first. Once established, many will grow into substantial plants.
And here's a thought for our Happy Place gardeners: if you're dividing plants this autumn, why not pot up a few spare pieces? We can share them with other members who are developing their gardens. One gardener's overcrowded border could be another gardener's new planting scheme.
Give your soil a little attention
If you've read our article Composting Made Simple, you'll know how enthusiastic I am about compost. And autumn is a particularly good time to put it to use.
Adding a layer of well-rotted garden compost or other suitable organic matter to the soil surface can help improve soil structure, support soil organisms and reduce moisture loss. Over time, earthworms and other organisms help incorporate organic matter into the soil.
You don't necessarily need to dig it in, either. In fact, there's a lot to be said for a no-dig approach. Rather than repeatedly turning the soil, we can add organic matter to the surface and allow natural processes to do much of the work. This helps avoid unnecessary disturbance of soil structure and the organisms living within it.
It's particularly useful in vegetable beds. Once you've removed the finished crops and any problematic weeds, cover the soil with a layer of mature compost. By spring, you'll have a lovely surface ready for planting.
And there's no need to dig over every empty bed simply because that's what gardeners have traditionally done. Sometimes the best gardening tool is a little patience.
Don't be too tidy!
This is one of my favourite changes in the way we're thinking about gardening.
For years, autumn gardening advice encouraged us to cut everything down, remove every fallen leaf and leave the garden looking immaculate for winter. But increasingly we're recognising that our gardens are important habitats for wildlife. Those untidy stems, seedheads and fallen leaves can provide shelter and food for a surprising number of creatures.
Take plants such as echinacea, rudbeckia and teasels. Their seedheads can provide food for birds, while their architectural shapes can look beautiful in winter, particularly when covered in frost. Some insects use hollow plant stems as places to shelter or overwinter, so leaving suitable stems standing until spring can be beneficial.
Fallen leaves are useful too. They provide habitat for invertebrates and, as they decompose, return organic matter to the soil. You can rake them from lawns and paths where necessary, then use them beneath shrubs, add them to compost or make leaf mould. A thick layer of wet leaves can damage a lawn, so leaving every leaf exactly where it falls isn't always the best solution.
And if you've got a quiet corner, why not create a small wildlife refuge with a pile of logs, twigs and leaves? A wildlife-friendly garden doesn't have to be an untidy garden. We can keep paths clear, manage borders and maintain the areas we use while allowing other parts of the garden to provide habitat. It's all about finding a balance.
Collect seeds for next year
If you've got plants that have produced healthy, mature seeds, autumn is a wonderful opportunity to collect some. It's economical, satisfying and gives you more plants to grow or share. Some particularly easy plants to collect seeds from include calendula, nasturtiums, poppies, cosmos and nigella.
Choose a dry day and collect seeds once the seedheads have ripened. Allow them to dry thoroughly before storing them in labelled paper envelopes somewhere cool and dry.
And do label them! I speak from experience when I say that a collection of mysterious brown seeds in unmarked envelopes becomes considerably less useful six months later. 🙄
One thing worth remembering is that plants grown from seed may differ from their parents, particularly if they're hybrids or have cross-pollinated with other varieties. That's one of the differences between growing from seed and taking cuttings. A cutting generally produces a plant genetically identical to its parent, whereas seeds are produced through sexual reproduction and can introduce genetic variation.
Sometimes that's exactly what makes seed growing so interesting. You never quite know what you'll get.
What about the vegetable garden?
The vegetable garden may be slowing down, but there's still plenty to do.
Garlic is one of my favourite autumn crops to plant. Many varieties benefit from exposure to cold weather, and the cloves establish roots over winter before producing vigorous growth in spring. Plant individual cloves, pointed end upwards, in well-drained soil. Space them approximately 15cm apart, with 30cm between rows.
Autumn-sown broad beans are another possibility. Hardy varieties such as Aquadulce Claudia can be sown in October or November in suitable conditions, giving you an earlier crop the following year.
However, success does depend on soil conditions, winter weather and local exposure so please do check the seed packet.
If you've got a greenhouse, cold frame or suitable protection, you could also try growing hardy salad leaves such as lamb's lettuce, winter purslane or winter lettuce. Growth will be slow during the darkest months, but even a modest harvest of fresh leaves can be enormously satisfying.
And if you're not growing winter crops, there's absolutely nothing wrong with giving your vegetable beds a rest under a protective layer of compost or mulch.
Why do trees lose their leaves?
Before we finish, let's look at one of autumn's most spectacular events.
As the days shorten and temperatures fall, many deciduous trees begin preparing for winter.
Chlorophyll, the green pigment involved in photosynthesis, breaks down and is no longer replaced at the same rate. As the green colour fades, other pigments become visible. Carotenoids produce many of the yellow and orange colours we associate with autumn, while anthocyanins, produced in some leaves during autumn, contribute red and purple shades. Meanwhile, a specialised layer of cells develops at the base of the leaf stalk. This is called the abscission zone. Eventually, the leaf separates from the tree.
Losing leaves helps deciduous trees reduce water loss and avoid maintaining delicate leaf tissues during winter conditions when water uptake may be restricted. The tree isn't dying. It's adapting.
Gosh, I went all 'sciencey' without notice there!! 😀
And those fallen leaves aren't waste either. As they decompose, they become part of the natural recycling system that supports the soil and the next generation of growth.
Rather wonderful, isn't it?
A little work now, a lot of pleasure later
I think one of the nicest things about autumn gardening is that it encourages us to slow down.
We can enjoy what's left of the season, appreciate the changing colours and prepare for the year ahead without the frantic pace of spring.
Plant a few bulbs, divide a favourite perennial, give your soil some compost or collect a handful of seeds. And perhaps leave a few seedheads standing for the birds.
You don't need to do everything. Even one small job this autumn can make a difference next spring.
And that's a lovely thought to take into the garden.
Let's talk about it!
One of the nicest things about the Happy Place Garden Project is being able to share our gardening experiences — the successes, the disappointments and those little discoveries that make gardening so interesting.
We'll be discussing autumn gardening at our next meeting, including what we're planting, what we're leaving for wildlife and how we're preparing our gardens for next spring.
Bring your questions and ideas along — there's usually someone who's tried something similar!
And don't forget, if you're local and you've got spare plants, seeds or bulbs, we'd love to hear about them. Sharing is very much part of what we're trying to achieve.
In the meantime, members can continue the conversation in Garden Chat sharing what we're doing in our gardens this autumn, and a photograph or two. And if you're out yet a member, get in touch to find out more - details at the foot of the page. You can also find us on Facebook.
After all, gardening is much more fun when we do it together.
