October is a lovely month in the garden. There's a definite chill in the air, the leaves are beginning to turn, and while summer may feel like a distant memory, there's still plenty to be getting on with outdoors.
In fact, October is one of the best planting months of the year. The soil is still holding some warmth while the cooler, damper weather gives newly planted trees, shrubs, hedging and fruit plants a chance to settle in without the stress of summer heat.
It's also the month for thinking ahead. A little work planting bulbs, onions, garlic and spring colour now will bring plenty of rewards in the months ahead.

Plant of the Week

Plant Tulips Now for Spectacular Spring Colour

October is a great time to get your Tulip bulbs into the ground. Whether you're filling borders, window boxes or patio containers, a few handfuls of bulbs planted now can transform the garden next spring.

• Pretty Woman: striking deep pink-red flowers
• Fire Wings: an eye-catching combination of red and yellow
• Suncatcher: wonderfully warm orange and yellow tones

Top Tip: If you're planting containers, try layering different spring bulbs at varying depths. Larger, later-flowering bulbs can go deeper, with smaller, earlier varieties nearer the surface. You'll enjoy waves of flowers appearing over a much longer period from one pot.

Give Your Containers an Autumn Makeover

Don't put the pots away just yet! October is a wonderful time to replace tired summer bedding with plants that'll bring colour and interest through autumn and winter.

• Cyclamen, Winter Pansies & Violas
• Hellebores and colourful Heathers
• Ivy and Garden Mums
• Ornamental Peppers & Chillies
• Gaultheria and silver foliage such as Cineraria

Choose a mixture of flowers, evergreen foliage and trailing plants and you'll have a container that looks lovely even on the greyest autumn day. And don't forget to hide a few spring bulbs underneath while you're planting!

Grow Your Own

There's something very satisfying about planting now knowing there'll be a home-grown harvest waiting for you next year. October is the ideal time to plant hardy winter onion sets, shallots and garlic.
Look out for varieties including Red Winter, Radar and Autumn Champion onions, along with Jermor shallots. For garlic, try Germidour, an attractive purple-skinned garlic with a lovely mild flavour, or Elephant Garlic, famous for its enormous bulbs and mild flavour.
Plant into well-prepared, free-draining soil and give them space to develop.

Keep the Veg Garden Going

The vegetable garden doesn't have to close for winter. Hardy crops can keep your patch productive well beyond summer, and there are plenty of vegetables and herbs to sow or plant now.

• Spring Cabbage, Kale and Spinach
• Radish and White Lisbon Onions
• Little Gem and Butterhead Lettuce
• Ornamental Peppers & Chillies
• Red Broccoli

Hardy herbs such as Parsley, Chives and Fennel can also be sown. Ready-started vegetable plants are a handy option if you don't fancy starting everything from seed.

Plant Your Own Fruit Garden

October is a fantastic month to introduce fruit trees and bushes to the garden. With cooler temperatures and naturally damper soil, plants can concentrate on establishing their roots ready for strong growth next spring.

• Apples, Pears and Plums
• Blueberries: Bluecrop, Blue Dessert and Pink Lemonade
• Goji Berries, Mulberries and Cranberries

Remember, blueberries prefer acidic growing conditions, so plant them with Ericaceous Compost for the best results.

October is Tree Planting Time

If you've been thinking about adding a tree to your garden, this is a great time to do it. Autumn planting gives roots time to establish while the soil remains relatively warm.

• Liquidambar
• Maples
• Mountain Ash
• Malus
• Birch

Think about the eventual height and spread of your tree before planting and choose a position where it has plenty of room to develop.

Time to Plant Hedging

Autumn is also one of the best times to establish a new hedge. Beech is a traditional favourite and makes a wonderful natural boundary, holding onto much of its coppery foliage through winter.
Good soil preparation makes all the difference. Improve the planting area, water thoroughly after planting and keep the area around young plants free from weeds while they establish.

Add Autumn Interest with Shrubs

Autumn reminds us just how important good foliage and structure are in the garden. Some fantastic shrubs for seasonal interest include:

• Berberis 'Orange Ice' and 'Bagatelle'
• Hydrangea 'Annabelle'
• Hydrangea quercifolia 'Ruby Slippers'
• Skimmias and Pernettyas
• Planting shrubs now gives them an opportunity to settle into their new home before winter.

Gardening Tips

• Keep Planting Spring Bulbs
• Give Your Lawn Some Attention
• Keep Deadheading
• Plant Trees, Shrubs & Hedging
• Think Beyond Autumn

Friendly Reminders from the Garden Team

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