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Open 7 days a weekOctober Gardening Jobs
The Autumn garden features dramatic bursts of colour and is a busy time for gardeners, but any work you put in now will pay dividends next Spring
- Plant Spring bulbs before the ground starts to freeze; check the packet for planting depths and try and plant them pointy end up
- Cut back perennials as they finish flowering to ensure they come back strong and healthy next year
- If your lawn looks tired after the Summer, now is the time to treat it with an Autumn feed
- Protect pots from becoming waterlogged over Winter by putting them on pot feet to allow for drainage
- Add some colour to your garden by planting up pots and containers with Winter bedding
- Rake up fallen leaves and compost them, or leave them in piles if you can as they make a great natural habitat for wildlife
- Plant or move trees and shrubs while the ground still has some warmth in it
Our pick of plants that are looking good in the garden this month
Pyracantha
Known as Firethorn, these evergreen shrubs add interest with white flowers in early Summer and brightly berries in Autumn. Produces yellow, orange and red berries.Can be grown as freestanding shrubs, hedging or trained to grow along a wall.
- Pyracantha hedges provide security due to its small thorns near the leaves.
- Great plants for the wildlife garden as the bees are attracted to the flowers and birds and other animals love the berries.
- Plants grow well in full sun, but will tolerate some partial shade and well-drained soil.
Callicarpa
Commonly known as beautyberry, this deciduous shrub produces purple berries that stay on the plant long after the leaves have fallen. Bronze foliage appears early Spring, turning green, followed by pale yellow in Autumn.
- Blooms and berries form on new wood so prune older branches in late Winter or early Spring.
- Cut to 6 inches above the ground so it grows back with a neat, rounded shape.
- Will tolerate partial shade, but berry production is better in full sun.
- Great for attracting birds to the garden.
Heuchera
Comes in a variety of colours and will brighten up any corner of your garden. Great for underplanting beneath trees and shrubs.
- Produces spikes of small flowers in the Summer, which bee and wildlife love.
- Grows well in shade and tolerates dry soil, so it’s a real bonus plant for tricky areas.
Gaultheria
Small, dense, evergreen spreading shrubs that only grow 1 foot tall. Produce white or pink, bell-shaped flowers in Summer, followed by brightly-coloured berries. Leaves are shiny and rich green during Summer, turning a deep burgundy once colder.
- Grow best in partial shade but will tolerate full shade.
- Easy to grow, provided they’re planted using ericaceous compost.
- Great plants for containers during Winter.