Why autumn's the best time to garden

We often think of spring as the primary gardening season, but autumn is really the time to get outside. Here's everything you need to know about gardening in autumn.

Six reasons why autumn's the best time for gardening

1. Autumn's the best time to plant shrubs and trees, as the soil is warm from the summer, and there's usually plenty of rain. Although growth slows down, the roots of newly planted trees will still grow (at a slower pace) through winter, and they'll be ready when the new growth starts in spring.

2. Autumn rain and cooler temperatures mean new plants need less additional watering. As well as making life easier for gardeners, this is also the most waterwise way to plant. Rather than spending time and lots of water on watering new plants in spring, plant them in autumn and let the weather do it for you.

3. When you're gardening in autumn, you can still remember all those jobs you noticed in summer and planned to get done when you had a minute. By next spring, unless you're organised enough to have written them down, you might not remember how you wanted to add more colour to a border or move a plant that got too big, and by the time it becomes obvious again, you're too busy! So get onto those jobs in autumn, and when spring comes, you'll be all set.

4. Autumn brings the chance to turn all those fallen leaves into leaf mould, which is a fantastic soil improver. Rake the leaves into a pile or bin bags and leave them somewhere out of sight for a year or so to rot down. As well as making a fantastic soil improver, this also reduces the amount of green waste in your council bin, helping to reduce carbon emissions associated with waste collection.

5. Autumn's the best time to plant spring bulbs. You can about get away with it in early winter too, but autumn's ideal, and it's the perfect antidote to the end-of-summer blues. Rather than getting gloomy as the days grow short and the clocks go back, you can start looking forward to the first signs of your new bulbs appearing in spring.

6. Give your lawn a bit of care and attention in autumn, and you'll reap the rewards next year. An autumn feed revitalises your grass after summer and prepares it for the cold winter weather. Scarify to get rid of moss and thatch, allowing water to percolate better into the soil and aerate to improve drainage. Early autumn's also an excellent time to sow seed, while the temperatures are still warm enough for it to germinate and there's less foot traffic, giving the grass all winter to get going.

There's plenty to do in your garden this autumn, and we've got everything you need in our centres. Visit us to stock up on all your essential autumn garden supplies!