Garden tasks and treats for October

Caroline Knight: Gardendesignideas.co.uk

As we dip into the mellow days of autumn, there’s a lot to celebrate outside. Firstly, the light levels are often perfect for photography in the garden. Capture those glistening spiders’ webs and moisture droplets that decorate leaves. Soak up every moment of the golden times when long shadows make great shots. There is generally less pollution in autumn due to cooler weather, and skies tend to be clearer. October can catch you out. There are days that feel like an Indian summer, with bright blue skies and sun that warms, but also unexpected frosts. It’s not unusual in northerly regions to experience freezing weather right at the beginning of the month. Protect vulnerable plants by moving them to sheltered sites, or cover them in horticultural fleece. During this magical month, which ends in All Hallows’ Eve, don’t miss the petrichor! It’s a real treat, and is the scent of rain that arises from damp earth after it falls on dry soil. The word comes from the Ancient Greek for ‘stone’ and fluid that was the ‘blood of the Gods’! This is a time to savour the daylight, knowing it will be seeping gradually away. But rather than mourn the loss of longer days, there’s work to be done outdoors as you need to get your garden in order to make it winter-ready. • Before leaves are filling up every crevice and corner, remember to cover ponds using fine mesh. It will stop the debris from falling to the bottom of the water where it will rot. Leaves release toxic gases as they break down and this replaces valuable oxygen in the pond. A pond needs to be balanced. A little decomposition is perfectly healthy and in fact, leaves release a tiny amount of phosphorus that is valuable in terms of nutrients. • When you are ready to turn your attention to the borders, stop and think before you cut things back. Many autumn plants have high feed value for garden birds. The seeds provide food and the leaves and stems offer shelter for birds, small mammals and mini-beasts. Leave them in situ if you can. • This is an ideal time to collect seeds for propagation. Many of them can be sown right away, but some can be scattered later. Check the preferences of each type of seed, as some require

‘cold stratification’, where they need to undergo a cold period before they are likely to germinate. A fridge or freezer could do the trick.

Alternatively, you can chip away at part of the outer coating, as this should perform a similar function.

They include many acer trees, most shrubs such as cornus (dogwood) and forsythia, clematis and many other climbing plants and perennials including lavender, nepeta, sedum and rudbeckia.

For seeds contained within fleshy fruits, such as elderberries and rosehips, be sure to squeeze them out of the soft fruit before sowing.

They would naturally be digested by birds and mammals, which would remove the fruits. • This is a perfect pruning time, including climbing plants such as clematis, lavender and rosemary, but take care not to cut back into old wood. You can also prune shrub roses and soft fruit bushes.

Cut hedges without too much fear of disturbing bird nests and consider giving your hedge a mulch around the base. Always check before adding fresh wood chippings, however. Some newly shredded wood can change the pH value of the soil and others might deplete nitrogen levels in the ground underneath. • Lawn lovers will be in their element during

October, as this is a good time to rake out the thatch and apply autumn lawn fertiliser. This contains high levels of potash and phosphates, which will help to make the grass resilient to cold weather. But at this time of year, you need to avoid nitrogen. It will encourage too much soft growth, which will be easily damaged during frost.

Trim the lawn edges to give it a crisp shape that should last until spring. • Last, but certainly not least, it’s time to plant some underground flower power while there is still warmth in the soil. This is the best bulbplanting month for spring-flowering beauties such as daffodils, crocuses, snowdrops, alliums and hyacinths. They can all go in the ground, ready for a burst of colour when you need it the most. Tulips can wait until November, or even later if the weather is mild. This helps to avoid the dreaded tulip fire virus.