Looking after your garden in autumn is one of the best ways to set it up for success in the coming year. Beyond tidying beds for winter, it’s the perfect season to enrich the soil, refresh planting, and add bursts of seasonal colour.
Here are our top 7 autumn garden care tips:
- Cut back perennials
As herbaceous perennials start to die back, cut faded flower stems down to ground level. Remove old foliage too, but leave a few hollow stems standing – they’ll provide shelter for overwintering insects and spiders. - Make leaf mould
Instead of composting or discarding fallen leaves, create a leaf pile or fill black bags (pierced with a few holes) and leave them to break down. In a couple of years, you’ll have rich, crumbly leaf mould – one of the best natural soil improvers. - Add autumn colour
If your borders look bare, brighten them up with autumn-flowering plants. Dahlias, sedums, winter pansies and chrysanthemums all thrive at this time of year. Shrubs like Caryopteris (Bluebeard) and Ceratostigma (Chinese plumbago) also provide late-season colour that pollinators love. - Plant for autumn foliage
Trees bring spectacular seasonal colour. Japanese maples and flowering cherries are stunning options, and if space is limited, try compact varieties in containers, such as Prunus ‘Kojo-no-mai’ or dwarf maple ‘Wilson’s Pink Dwarf’. - Get spring bulbs in the ground
Autumn is bulb-planting season! Daffodils, crocuses and irises should go in now, while tulips are best left until November when colder weather helps protect them from disease. - Divide and replant perennials
Autumn’s warm soil makes it a great time to establish new perennials or rejuvenate old clumps. Lift and divide plants like hostas, daylilies and hardy geraniums, then replant them to spread colour around your garden. - Mulch generously
Mulching is one of the best investments you can make for your soil. Spread a 5cm layer of compost or well-rotted manure and let nature work it in. It boosts nutrients, improves drainage, and helps retain moisture. Focus on applying it thickly to smaller areas if you don’t have enough for the whole garden.
Whether you’re planting bulbs, cutting back perennials, or adding autumn colour, you’ll find everything you need in our garden centre. Come and see us this season!
