Essential gardening tasks for Autumn and Winter

In our previous blog we considered a new garden and assessed the jobs that need carrying out in the Spring and Summer. But when the weather changes and the nights begin to draw in, Autumn is approaching. It’s a wonderful time of year in terms of the changing colours and for many it’s their favourite season. The changing colours also mean there is a load of work to get done in the garden, which, depending on the size of your plot, will keep you busy throughout the darkening weekends.

Time for an Autumn trim

Depending on the time of year you moved into your new-build, this will define how established it is by the Autumn. If you have already planted a lot of shrubs and bedding plants, then you will need to tend to them. Pruning is one of the most important tasks to carry out, as many plants depend on regular trimming for new growth. This is especially true of fruit trees, which rely on regular pruning for growth. There are two times of year for most plants to be cut back – Spring and Autumn – and how comprehensively you carry out this work will decide how much you will have to do in the Autumn in this area.

One of the biggest jobs that you’ll have to tackle is clearing up all the leaves that now litter your garden. Any deciduous tree, bush, shrub or hedge will drop its leaves when they finish their lifecycle and you can’t always rely on a strong Autumn wind to blow them all away. They will need raking up and disposing of. A leaf blower is a useful tool to acquire, if you’re going to take on the garden yourself and these can be used to collect the leaves too. Clearing leaves from the ground will allow the air and nutrients to your lawn. Leaves can block water from getting to the ground and as we’ve already seen, can clog gutters, downspouts and gulleys, which will also need clearing out too.

Waste not, want not in Autumn and Winter

Once you have gathered the leaves, they can be used for another essential Autum task – mulching.  It’s a good time of year for mulching, while there is still a bit of warmth in the soil and moisture too. Mulches are loose coverings or sheets of material placed on the surface of the soil. They can be homemade garden compost. Many people have a compost or mulch bin their garden, where they can store the leaves and grass cuttings, which can decompose until they are needed. Once laid, mulches retain moisture, reduce weed growth and promote healthy soil. You can use many different forms of garden waste, such as chipped wood, grass cuttings and leaves. Anything that counts as dead organic plant material can provide nutrients to the soil as the waste decays. You can lay mulch around your trees, shrubs and perennials, as well as along borders.

As you rake your umpteenth pile of leaves, you may realise there’s a lot to be said for planting evergreens! This is why you see so many firs, pines and leylandii used in modern gardens. They don’t drop leaves and provide a solid, hardy barrier all year around. Other plants, such as holly and ivy, can be used both as cover and ornamentally for effect. They’ll need pruning too – holly is a good example of a plant that is easy to control, while ivy is one that will run amok if left unattended and can quickly take over if not pruned back. These creepers are well-named, as they seem to encroach unnoticed. It’s wise to keep them away from your house and outbuildings, as some can be difficult to remove once they become established.

A natural home

There are many approaches to gardening in the Autumn and Winter months. Some people want an immaculate garden, with clean lines and little clutter, that they can leave well alone until the Spring. Other people prefer a rewilding approach. Even in a pristine garden, you can create little habitats for wildlife, with twigs and debris, beneath hedges and trees. There are many ways to encourage wildlife to your garden, but be careful you don’t attract the wrong kinds of visitors, such as vermin, which won’t impress your neighbours. If you are rewilding, then you may leave areas of your garden to ‘go wild’. The grass may grow a little longer, to allow cover for animal life.

Autumn to Winter

The Winter months can be hard for the natural inhabitants of your garden, and if they rely on you to put out food then make sure you continue to do it regularly. Winter isn’t really a time of year for gardening, but there are still maintenance tasks, such as cleaning and tidying, that can be carried out. There are also chores such as maintenance to exteriors, like walls and fences, if the weather is fit for it. If you have an outdoor pond or swimming pool, that might need maintenance in the winter too, especially with regard to fallen leaves. If you have a greenhouse or shed, you may be able to work inside too, doing some potting or preparation for the Spring, until the cycle begins once more…

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