Notcutts guide to autumn gardening

Let us help you with your seasonal gardening projects with Notcutts guide to autumn gardening.

Autumn is in full swing and while we can sit back and enjoy some of the fabulous autumn colours and perennials in our gardens, there’s also plenty of things you can be doing to prepare your garden for winter (and spring) before the frost sets in.

If you’re planning your gardening projects for this autumn and winter and need to know about what to choose and when to plant, Notcutts Garden Centre has everything you need and their knowledgable staff are on hand throughout the store to give you tips and advice on preparation, planting and pruning.

Re-potting: This is the perfect time to re-pot shrubs and trees that have outgrown their containers over the summer, making sure you remove them carefully from their existing pots and re-plant into larger ones with fresh compost with a long lasting fertiliser

Bulb planting: there’s still time for bulb planting into containers which you can do in two or three layers to create pots full of colour for next spring.

Plant out hardy annuals and perennials: This time of year is when you can plant out hardy plants such as wallflowers, sweet william, forget-me-nots and polyanthus. Notcutts' expert staff can advise you of the best base dressing to make sure your plants thrive over the winter for the best results in the spring time.

Cuttings: Take hard wood cuttings of shrubs, climbers and fruit bushes and save all seeds of summer flowering annuals. Make sure you keep them somewhere dry and with air so they don’t go mouldy.

Keep on top of the leaves: While leaves are great for mulch, you don’t want them all over the place because they can also cause problems.

• Pop a net over any water features to keep out falling leaves;
• Rake leaves from your lawn and borders and add them to your compost heap (try not to rake or walk on lawns when it’s very wet or when the grass is frozen)
• Remove leaves from your greenhouse on a regular basis

Notcutts autumn gardening checklist:

1. Clean down your patio and garden furniture and cover or store them away if you think they won't get used again
2. Aerate the lawn to improve drainage and brush sharp sand into the holes
3. If you wish to move a shrub or conifer to another part of the garden, dig up as large a root ball as possible and water in well
4. Plant out autumn onion sets in to firm beds of soil. Garlic can also be planted towards the end of the month
5. Complete winter digging on heavy soils by the end of October
6. Plant out spring cabbages
7. Plant winter flowering pansies and violas in beds and pots for spots of winter colour
8. Wrap up tender plants like tree ferns and banana plants with fleece or straw before the first frosts of the year
9. When raking, leave some leaf piles under a hedge or in a border, to provide a habitat for wildlife and insects
10. Finish pruning and training rambling roses by cutting out some of the old wood that has flowered and tying in young shoots

If you have questions about autumn and winter gardening, why not come and spend a couple of hours with us. The Notcutts friendly staff are expert gardeners and more than happy to give you advice on what to plant, how to plant and how to maintain your garden this season.

There's a huge array of bulbs, new season roses and plenty of other seasonal plants, pots and hanging baskets and while you're here you can start to get some great ideas for Christmas, as the Notcutts Christmas Shop is now open!

With our convenient location and plentiful easy access parking, coming here is always a pleasure and never a chore!