Autumn has arrived. The leaves are turning gold and red. The evenings are drawing in. Which means it’s time to prepare your garden for autumn. Follow these tips to take care of your garden this autumn so that your outdoor space looks good over the colder months and is ready when spring comes around.
If you have a real grass lawn, when autumn comes, increased rainfall, low temperatures, and weak sunshine affect the turf, so there are a few things you need to do to maintain it over autumn. You need to clear dead leaves regularly as any debris left on the lawn will deprive it of sunlight, resulting in brown patches and dead turf. You’ll also need to remove thatch and moss, aerate the grass, rake dead material, water and mow the lawn, treat with weed killer, apply an autumn fertiliser, trim the edges, and maybe even lay new turf.
Alternatively, you could install LazyLawn artificial turf and avoid this high level of maintenance altogether. LazyLawn stays green all year round and does not die as a result of lack of sunlight. LazyLawn does not require watering, mowing, or fertilising. The turf is very easy to maintain – simply remove debris using a rake, and if the grass gets dirty, hose it down using detergent and a brush. LazyLawn is also not affected by cold autumn weather and is highly durable, with a life expectancy of 15 years, which means you won’t need to re-turf and maintain it every year when autumn comes around.
Tidy your borders now to ensure a great display come spring. Remove dying leaves and stems from borders before they start to rot, and remove weeds so they don’t take hold over winter. Dig out annuals and cut back faded perennials then, once tidy, spread bark chippings, mulch, or compost over borders to improve the structure and texture of the soil and protect the plants over winter.
Get planting, but make sure you plant the best plants for this time of year. Plant spring flowering bulbs such as daffodils, narcissus and alliums so that they grow over winter and you can get the benefits in spring. Also try asters, Japanese anemones and Ceratostigma willmottianum for beautiful autumn colours. Evergreens such as daphne, camelias, holly, and sarcococca can also add colour and texture in winter. Trees and shrubs such as hawthorn, birch, and alder add green foliage. And finally, why not grow seasonal vegetables such as onions, kale, and cabbage to enjoy over autumn.
Autumn is the best time to start a compost heap. Compost is a natural fertiliser of fresh, organic matter that you can use to help your plants grow. Make your compost out of garden waste including old bedding plants from borders, debris from your vegetable patch, fallen leaves, and raked out moss. This will give you plenty of material for your compost pile.
If you have a lot of fallen leaves, you could also make your own leaf mould to use as fertiliser. This is a great way to recycle leaves and a simple way to add organic matter to your soil.
Autumn is a good time to tidy, repair and rejuvenate your garden ready for the colder months. Repair any damage to sheds, replace rotting fence posts, and fix broken greenhouse panes so that they are protected over winter. You can also clear out bird boxes and wash them before putting them back, ready for the birds in spring. Store away summer furniture whilst you are not using it, trim hedges and plants, and leaf blower fallen leaves so that your garden is looking neat and tidy over the winter and you can gain a head start when the warmer weather comes around.
Contact us for more tips on how to improve your garden this autumn, or to install LazyLawn in your garden, find your local installer today.
