The late summer heat of early September has gone and Autumn has arrived! The summer colours and scents are being replaced by the mellow tints of autumn. With the changing of the seasons our priorities in the garden are adjusting
Summer bedding plants and flowers
Many are seasonal, they will die back as the weather changes. Keep dead heading flowers to allow the final blooms to show and start thinking whether you will replace them with winter flowers or leave the space free for next year. For bulbs and tubers such as dahlias keep feeding the plants so they can let the goodness in and strengthen for next summer.
Lawns
As the days shorten and it gets cooler the grass doesn’t grow as much. Soon the grass will have its final cut of autumn. Raise the blades on your mower, to leave a little more grass, helping your lawn to stay green and be ready to grow again next year
Hedges
Now is a good time to cut hedges, apart from beech and hornbeam. Tidying up now makes your garden look neat and reduces the risk of winter damage.
Climbers
As the autumn wind blows you will see stems of climbers whipping about. Tie them in if you want to keep them or cut them off. This will help the plant keep stable in the ground, taking stress off the roots.
Ponds and water features
Ponds can get very murky in autumn, leaves from nearby plants and trees end up in the water. Try to clear as much as you can to help the pond keep healthy. If you have a fountain or pump to oxygenate the water make sure the intake remains clear of leaves and debris so it can work efficiently.
Wildlife
Keep feeding the birds and make sure they have water too. Hedgehogs and other creatures will be getting ready to hibernate, they need food to build themselves up and a place to shelter. A messy pile of wood leaves and overgrown plants can be the ideal place so please don’t be too keen to tidy every area of your garden.
If any of these jobs seem like hard work and too much to achieve in your busy life, give Chopwell a call. Our friendly team are here to help you keep your garden your stress free beautiful refuge.
