Introduction
It’s nearly time to think about how to get your garden ready for Autumn. Summer is fading fast this year, and you want to be prepared for the seasonal changes ahead. So, if you care about your garden, now is the time to think about what you can do.
This article explains 5 different ways to get your garden ready for Autumn. We’ve previously covered what to do for the Spring, but the colder months are a little different. Read on to get stuck into our advice on preparing your garden for Autumn!
Why Should You Get Your Garden Ready For Autumn?
When it comes to gardening, the seasons are so important. Everything from what you plant, to how your foliage grows, to what pests and predators are roaming about is affected by the weather. The Summer sun can scorch plants and grass. Winter frost can kill crops and wildlife. You’ve got to know what’s around the corner to keep your garden in top condition.
Therefore, knowing how to get your garden ready for Autumn is a great way to transition into the colder months. Winter won’t be far off, and you don’t want to be caught out by frosts and turbulent weather. Preparing for Autumn is basically also covering your back for Winter too!
How To Prepare For Autumn
So now you know why you have to get your garden ready for Autumn, how do you do it? Below are 5 different things you can do to prepare.
1. Cover Your Pond Or Pool To Get Your Garden Ready FOr Autumn
The first, easy step to prepare for the colder months is to cover up any standing water. Pools and ponds catch a lot of the falling leaves from the trees at this time of year. Hot tubs are another thing you should cover.
Pools and hot tubs usually come with some type of cover or guard. Ponds typically don’t, so instead, use a net on top to catch the leaves.
2. Tidy Up
Next, you need to do a good tidy-up. Pick up any already-fallen leaves or debris. Keep on top of this throughout the Autumn, so your grass and plants don’t get ruined by piles of leaves. You can turn these into mulch or compost. You can make a leaf composter for this job. On top of this, cut back any overgrown plants.
After this, mow your lawn to get your garden ready for Autumn. Get a good mower and make sure the grass is relatively short. You can’t cut grass easily in the Autumn and Winter, especially if it rains or frosts a lot. Do it before to prepare for this. You should also give your patio or deck a clean to prevent excessive dirt build-up in the Winter. A pressure washer is a great tool for this.
3. Plant Spring Bulbs To Get Your Garden Ready For Autumn
Once it is all clean and tidy, the next step to get your garden ready for Autumn is to plant any Spring bulbs. You might already have some evergreen plants, but some flowers need planting way in advance for the warm months.
Select your Spring-blooming bulbs to plant in September and October, before the weather turns very cold. That way, by Summer, they will be already flowering and make your garden look gorgeous!
4. Protect Your Plants
Planting new bulbs isn’t the only thing you need to do to get your garden ready for Autumn. You must also protect the plants you already have. Insulate any planting pots or vegetable or herb plots you have with hay on top of the soil to prevent frost damaging the plants. Raise pots off the ground or store them in a greenhouse on a raised surface. This will prevent them from getting waterlogged from the ground when it rains. You don’t want all your plants failing in the cold months, so take these easy precautions now.
5. Think About The Wildlife
Finally, it’s not just plants that live in your garden. Birds and small animals can have a hard time in cold and wet weather. There is less food about, water sources can be frozen over, and the cold can be bitter. There are some amazing winter birds about, and they sometimes need a little extra human help to survive.
To do this, make sure you have a water source in your garden that isn’t frozen over. A birdbath is great, or a small dish on the floor will do. Make or buy a birdhouse for little birds to rest in. Get some bird feeders with seeds in them and place them around the trees. This will help out the wildlife and get your garden ready for Autumn and Winter.
Conclusion
There you have it. 5 easy ways to get your garden ready for Autumn. This can all be quite a lot of work. However, trust me when I say it will pay off in the long-run. Your garden will be ready for Autumn, and will consequently also look amazing in the Spring and Summer!
