5 Tips for Autumn Gardening Success
I always like to think of autumn as the beginning of the gardening year rather than the end of it and there are lots of jobs you can do now that will set you up for the growing season to come.
If you need a bit of inspiration at this time of year, check out my 5 Tips for Autumn Gardening Success below and get the beginning of your gardening year off to a great start.
1: Plant a Spring Bulb Lasagna!
There are spring bulbs everywhere in the shops at this time of year. Try planting the bulbs in a pot in layers so that you get wave after wave of flowers in the springtime. Narcissus, tulips and crocus are a great combination.
2: Take Lavender Cuttings!
Autumn is the perfect time to increase your stock of lavender. Lavender cuttings usually grow really easily - it's a great plant to start with if you've never taken cuttings before. I took Provence lavender cuttings two years ago, planted them out a year later and this year they are well established plants (and the honey bees love them - see photo!).
3: Start Hardy Annuals From Seed!
Your spring garden will be earlier and better if you start your hardy annuals now rather than waiting until late winter or early spring. I put together a blog post last year that will help you figure out the best time to plant for your area.
4: Stop Digging - Start a New Planting Area Easily!
Autumn is a great time to make a new planting area for plants that you may be planning on adding to your garden. I have recently discovered the 'new' (probably ancient!) technique of No Dig gardening. Most of my sweet pea rows this year were prepared using this method and the huge reduction in weed growth was astonishing that for the most part, I did not have to weed!! Charles Dowding is a leading expert in vegetable production using this method.
5: Make Leaf Mold / Mulch!
Every year we rake up leaves from all our trees into one pile and let them compost down. In 6 months or so we use them as mulch on pathways, but you can let them compost down even more and use them as a growing medium.
