Gardening column - October 2024

In addition to wild corners, many gardeners extend their season of colour by growing late-flowering perennial plants such as rudbeckias, sedums and asters that continue to attract pollinators and help gardens shift smoothly from summer to autumn.

Asters are easy to grow and come in shades of blue, purple, red, pink and white. Bees and butterflies love them as a late-season source of nectar, so they are perfect if wildlife gardening is on your agenda.

They have also had a name change and are now known as symphyotrichum.

Symphyotrichum x frikartii ‘Monch’ is one of the first to start the season early in late July with flowers that are large and widely spaced with bright purple petals surrounding a yellow button; whilst Symphyotrichum lateriflorus ‘Lady in Black’ starts to flower in late September after producing a mound of dark liquorice foliage throughout the summer with dusky purple-pink blooms.

October, rather than spring, is the best time of year to plant new perennials in the garden and adding a compost mulch now will save on watering new plants next spring.

Apart from planting perennials, other top jobs for gardeners this month include:

 Cutting back perennials that have died down. Perennials are not demanding plants, but trimming them after flowering finishes in autumn helps improve their appearance and flowering. However, you can leave some stems over winter to provide homes and food for wildlife, and then trim back in spring.

 Moving tender plants, including aquatic ones, into a greenhouse or conservatory. In frost-prone areas a conservatory is the ideal place for overwintering tender perennials and marginally hardy plants from the garden. Cold-sensitive plants in need of good light levels and dry, frost-free conditions will also benefit.

 Dividing herbaceous perennials. If done regularly this will ensure healthy, vigorous plants that will continue to perform year after year. It also offers the opportunity to multiply your plants.

Plus, here’s what the experts have to say …

Autumn is now definitely here for real, and it feels colder. It is a beautiful time of year, with the trees changing colour. Sometimes it may seem pointless raking, when the wind blows even more leaves onto the lawn, but just think of all the lovely leaf mould you can make! It is also time to start preparing for early frosts - RHS

October is the month of harvest festival. A time to gather in and celebrate your successes in all parts of the garden and start to plan for next year! The end of the growing season also means a busy time composting crop remains, saving seeds and preparing your soil for winter - Garden Organic

It is a great time to plant or move deciduous trees, shrubs and hedges as the soil is still warm so the roots will begin to grow immediately. It is essential to give them a really good soak when you do so and to repeat this weekly until the ground is really wet or the leaves have fallen. Deciduous plants on the other hand can be moved or planted any time between October and the middle of March - Monty Don