Winter/spring flowering bedding plants

Autumn is the perfect time to plant autumn, winter and spring bedding plants into their flowering positions to take over when the summer colour fades. 

Hardy annuals

Hardy annual seeds are sown directly outside. There’s no fiddly sowing seeds in containers in propagators, pricking out the young seedlings, hardening off the plants and planting out. 

Mulch your beds & borders

Spend less time weeding and watering this year by applying a thick mulch to your beds and borders now. 

Beds and borders

Dig a hole and put in the plant roots? To ensure plants establish quickly and live a long time, you need to take a little more trouble than that. 

Improving border soil

If you have heavy clay or sandy soil you will need to add plenty of organic matter to improve the structure and widen the range of plants that will thrive. 

Growing lavender

Lavender is a fabulous scented evergreen shrub with colourful summer flowers. Every garden should have some. 

Mulching

Understand your soil and you are halfway to gardening success. Soil acts as an anchor for plant roots and holds air, water and plant nutrients. 

Ericaceous (lime-hating) plants

Plants that don't like growing in soils that contain lime are called ericaceous plants, acid lovers or lime haters. 

Growing herbaceous perennials

Herbaceous perennials are the mainstay of beds and borders. They provide great splashes of colour, along with structure - and they're easy to grow. 

Growing roses

Roses are one of our favourite garden plants. Careful attention will prevent any possible rose problems. 

Feed your plants easily

Before you create a chill-out area in your own garden, it's important to think carefully about which plants are to be used to create this relaxing haven. 

Feed all your garden plants

Now that your plants are growing well, they’ll all need a good feed to ensure they produce fabulous displays to be proud of. 

Planting bulbs, corms and tubers

Daffodil, tulip, crocus, lily and dahlia are bulbs or 'bulbous plants'. They are all swollen parts of roots or stems which when planted grow into new plants. 

Plant watering

Only in hot, dry summers is extra watering needed, but plants grown in pots, hanging baskets, and other containers will need watering regularly. 

'Water Smart' gardening

Here are some Water Smart tips that will help you carry on gardening and using available water in the most efficient way possible.