What I’m Doing in My Garden This Autumn - and Why
Autumn used to feel like the point when my garden started winding down. This year, after a long spell of heat and drought, I'm looking at it differently. Instead of waiting for spring, I'm using the cooler days and returning moisture to sow, plant and protect. The garden may look quieter over winter, but there is still plenty happening.
Taking Stock
I'm musing on the messages that my garden has presented to me. Moving my cuttings and young plants into the shade worked well, while the sweet peas and cucumber in a hanging basket soon succumbed in the heat, despite constant watering. My apple tree on dwarfing stock perished. I grew more parsely than I needed, and my echinacea was clearly unhappy where I planted it. Sedums and dahlias impressed me flowering in the heat, while runner beans proved that some crops are worth waiting for, as they have flourished in the latter rains.
Extending the Growing Season
I must no longer think of the vegetable garden as finished when the summer crops disappear. I'm making more effort, sowing more seeds than I normally would, the soil is still warm and the rains not too heavy.
After this year's heat, it makes sense to ask myself why wait until spring when some crops can establish themselves for earlier flowers or vegetables. I'm trying winter salad leaves, spinach, kale, turnips, broad beans and hardy herbs. It's not too late for planting garlic or autumn onions sets and shallots either. It's a simple, satisfying job; I can tuck everything into the ground now and know that growth is quietly beginning. Time (and the weather) will tell but early pickings are encouraging.
Bringing Tender Plants Indoors
Even so, before the colder weather arrives, I've brought in my lemon tree, chillies and a selection of herbs indoors. The challenge is not just squeezing them in; I also need to give them enough light, avoid overwatering and check I'm not bringing unwanted guests in with them.
Planting Spring Bulbs in Pots
In my smaller garden, containers let me pack in plenty of spring colour without digging into my heavy clay soil. I'm planting a selection of tulips, daffodils, crocuses, hyacinths and alliums in pots, arranging them so I can enjoy a succession of flowers. A little work now for a welcome burst of colour as winter ends.
Protecting Bare Soil
Where beds would eitherwise lie bare, I'm covering the surface with composted bark chippings, leaf material or another organic mulch. This helps protect the soil from harsh weather, suppresses weeds and adds organic matter as the layers break down. Tucked up for winter!
Being Untidy
I'm trying to not to see fallen leaves as a nuisance. A pile of leaves gathered together now can become free leaf mould and a valuable soil improver next year. I'm also resisting the urge to cut everything down. By leaving some seedheads and stems, allowing a few leaves to remain and avoiding an immaculate clear-up, I can provide shelter for insects and food for birds. I'm learning "tidy" is not necessarily the same as "healthy".
Changing What I Grow as the Weather Changes
This year's heat and drought has given me a real reason to reconsider my choices. I'm watching how the sun reaches different parts of my garden throughout the seasons and making a record of what needs moving or is best grown. My bay trees, for example, were scorched and may need a more sheltered position. These observations will guide next year's planting far better than any formal plan.
I'm looking for varieties that might cope better with more difficult conditions, including more drought-tolerant flowers. I also want to diversify my seed sources, rethink sowing dates, make better use of spring and autumn moisture, and reduce my dependence on constant summer watering.
Rather than treating unusual weather as a one-off inconvenience, I'm using it to shape a more resilient garden
What Next?
Between sowing winter crops and sweeping up leaves, to bringing plants indoors and wondering what tomorrow might bring, my autumn gardening is less about shutting things down and more about preparing for what comes next. Each small job helps me care for the soil, support wildlife and create a garden that can cope better with changing weather. Most of all it keeps me connected with the outside world.