Flower gardenPlant spring bulbs Continue planting bulbs for spring-flowering displays. Give priority to daffodils, crocuses, hyacinths, fritillarias, erythroniums, irises and small bulbs in rock gardens. Tulips can be kept back for planting later in October and even into early November. Plant shrubsAutumn is an ideal time to plant new shrubs and perennials. Use our guide to buying plants to make sure you know what to look out for and what to avoid. Prune rambling roses Prune back old flowering stems on rambler roses and tie in any new shoots to the support. Enjoy seed-heads The last orange-peel blooms of Clematis orientalis open their fluffy seed-heads as the autumn sun catches their silky, silvery strands. Enjoy the display until late February, when all stems can be untangled and pruned hard back to about 60cm (2ft) above soil level. Create a crocus carpet Brighten up an expanse of lawn, especially around trees or in less formal areas, by planting a crocus carpet. The best way to make it look natural is to pick up large handfuls of crocus corms and freely scatter them around. Use a bulb planter to take out cores of soil where they fall, popping a corm into each hole before replacing the turf and watering in. After flowering in spring, allow their grassy foliage to develop and refrain from mowing off until the end of May or early June. Dahlias Lift and store dahlia tubers as soon as their foliage has been blackened by the first frost. Cut the hollow stems back down to about 10cm (4in) above the tuber. The tuber should then be stood upside down to allow any water to drain out.  Watch Alan Titchmarsh's advice on lifting your dahlia and canna tubers to ensure they survive the coming winter months. 
Sweet peas Sow seeds in pots now, then keep in a cold frame or a sheltered position for the winter. Autumn-raised plants will produce blooms earlier than those sown during spring. GladioliDon't delay digging up gladioli corms. Lift them as soon as possible and lay them out on greenhouse staging to dry before cleaning off the soil and cutting back their old foliage and flower spikes. Pick off any tiny corms that have formed around the parent. Keep them in paper bags, labelled with the variety name, and replant in a nursery bed in late spring to grow them into larger corms of flowering size.
Read our gladioli plant profile for growing tips them and varieties to try next year. Dried flower arrangements Attractive seed-heads from grasses, annuals and perennials can be cut and used in dried flower arrangements.
 GreenhouseProtect tender perennials Temperatures in colder areas can drop considerably in October, especially at night. Bring large containers of tender perennials, such as fuchsias, argyranthemums, pelargoniums and abutilons, into the shelter of the greenhouse for winter. Plants growing outside in borders can be carefully lifted, potted up and brought under cover. If their top growth is tall and leggy, trim it back to avoid possible damage. Check for leaf pests Thoroughly check plants brought inside for winter for any signs of pests. Treat tehm if necessary and pick off any dead leaves. Hyacinths Continue planting bowls of hyacinths for indoor displays. Prepared bulbs are more expensive, but will flower earlier. Look out for multiflora bulbs which produce large clumps of small flower spikes.
Begonias Reduce the amount of water given to pot-grown tuberous begonias, letting the compost dry out and the tops die off. Later in winter, remove the leaves and compost, dust the tuber with sulphur powder and store in paper bags in a cool, dry place. Chrysanthemums Pot-grown, late-flowering chrysanthemums should now have been brought in from outside, to bloom under cover. Check regularly for signs of pests. Maintain good air circulation around plants to prevent diseases.  Kitchen gardenHarvesting cropsContinue harvesting carrots and potatoes for storage, ensuring crops are dry and clean. Never store any produce showing signs of damage or infection.
Crops to sowHardy varieties of peas and broad beans can be sown now. Most benefit from cloche protection in winter, especially in very cold areas. Fruit orders Plan now for autumn and winter fruit planting, by ordering new varieties of fruit trees, bushes and cane fruits. Tomatoes Finish picking outdoor tomatoes soon or they may succumb to disease. Green tomatoes can be picked to ripen separately or hang the entire plant in the greenhouse so the fruit can ripen on the vine. Herbs Pot up herbs so that they can be grown in a porch or on a windowsill for use during winter.
Use our step-by-step guide to help you take cuttings of tender herbs. Apples Check if early-ripening apples are ready for harvesting by cupping them in your hand and gently lifting them upwards to see if the fruit comes away easily. If not, leave it to ripen further on the tree. Most early-ripening apples need eating straight away, as they do not store well. Marrows Once the skins of ripe marrows have hardened in the sun, they can be cut and stored for winter. Place on a shelf in a cool shed, so the air circulates around them. Our guide to growing marrows and courgettes has plenty of advice on harvesting.
Raspberries Finish harvesting autumn-ripening varieties. All canes that have carried fruit this year can be cut down to soil level. New canes that form in the spring will produce a crop next autumn.
Blackberries Pick berries from late-fruiting varieties as they ripen, covering them with netting to keep birds at bay. Once they are finished, cut the fruited canes away at soil level and tie in this year's new canes. Onions and garlicLay onions on greenhouse staging so that their tops and roots completely dry out before storing. Plant out selected varieties of garlic and Japanese onion sets, suitable for autumn planting.  General careSow hardy annuals If you're gardening on a tight budget, sow hardy annuals. These will quickly germinate and the thinned seedlings will flower earlier than spring-sown annuals. If you grew hardy annuals this year, why not save some seeds to sow now or in the spring. Garden waste During autumn the garden often produces more waste than you can cope with, so now is the time to consider investing in a shredder and additional compost bins. Recycling organic material by composting it is always preferable to having bonfires, as any neighbour will tell you!
Pond care Stretch a large piece of small-mesh netting over ponds and water features to prevent autumn leaves from falling in. Peg down the edges. Pick off leaves regularly and remove any that blow in with a small net, taking great care not to damage butyl liners. Also clear away remains of dying aquatic and marginal plants. Evergreen pots Empty pots and baskets of summer bedding and plant up with a new selection to provide colour and interest right through autumn and into spring. Use one or two small evergreen shrubs, such as euonymus or dwarf conifers, as structural elements within the pot, filling in around them with seasonal bedding to provide flowers during mild spells. Irrigation systems Disconnect seeping hoses and drip irrigation that is no longer needed, give them a clean and store them away for the winter. Conifers Autumn is a good time to move established conifers and evergreen shrubs. Dig them up with the largest rootball you can manage. Prepare the new planting site well and keep them well watered until they have established. Protect sensitive varieties from drying winds by surrounding with a netting wind-break. Sow lawn seed Finish sowing new lawns while the soil conditions are still warm enough for grass seed to germinate. Turf can still be laid in autumn, if the soil is not too wet. Our guide to autumn lawn care will help you get your grass in good shape for the winter ahead.
|
