Autumn days

AUTUMN IS finally making an appearance. We had a blissful heatwave to send off the summer, and while it’s still warm out there in the fullness of the day, there’s a noticeable snap in the air in the mornings. 

Spider webs are decorated with dew, the grass is damp underfoot first thing, and the night draws in around 7pm now - a shock to the system after those endlessly warm, golden evenings of summer. 

In your gardens, there’s plenty to do. It’s almost like you need to do a kind of review or audit of the garden at this time of year - what’s finished? What needs to come out, and what is still rocking but needs a bit of tidying or staking?

I talk about it all the time but deadheading is a surefire way of making blooms such as roses or annuals like cosmos keep on trucking into these more tempered months. If the flower finishes, the plant puts all its energy into making seedheads or hips. But by removing the flower head, the plant redirects that energy into producing more flowers. The show can go on. 

Keep an eye on your containers to get rid of weeds, top dress with fresh compost, and make sure any dead and brown growth is gone to make them look more presentable. Don’t forget the watering! The mornings may be damp but the days are hot, and soil dries out in an instant on those warm days. 

It’s also time to think about planting bulbs. Start making your wishlist now, ready for planting them in in late October and into November. Shrubs are also welcomed into the soil nicely in September, so if there are gaps to fill or replacements to be made in your garden, get them in now. 

It's been lovely to go back to gardens I planted in spring and summer, and seeing them fill out beautifully just like I planned! (see this picture for evidence of this)

So what's on my agenda this autumn? Having worked a huge amount over the summer, and long days too, I'll be escaping on holiday next week to catch some final summer sun in southern Spain. Then when back, I'll turn 39, and start processing that winter really is coming. Time to hunker down in the evenings with tea, blankets, knitting and Only Murders In The Building...

Work wise, this autumn I’ll also be doing maintenance work on your gardens, planting in those shrubs, writing planting plans for you for next spring (whether that’s full borders, patio containers, or sorting out any problem patches in your garden such as those in full shade), and making seasonal containers.

Last year I did some lovely winter containers which proved popular around Christmas time - if the family are coming to stay for the festive season, it’s nice to have some cheery winter displays on the front step to welcome them in. Let me know if you’d like me to help with any of these things. And as always, keep an eye on my instagram for my latest projects and garden tips. 

Also, a note on the mental health benefits of gardening - please please get outside if you can in these lovely last days of warmth and sun. Even a bit of weeding and deadheading (there I go preaching again) can provide you with the mindfulness you might need if you're finding life a bit too much. Because life can be a bit too much sometimes, can't it? Whether it's because the kids are back at school and your life is a whirl of uniforms and clubs and endless birthday parties (Base Jump again is it?), or because work is ramping up after a summer hiatus, or if you're going through something life-big (take it from me who has had a very tumultuous year of a breakup, house sale and subsequent house move), being outside in the fresh air amongst the plants and birds can do wonders. Even if it's just a few moments of the sun on your face, or your hands in the soil, believe me - it helps.

Right, now, where’s my jumper…