1. Scarify and aerate your lawn
Using a metal lawn rake, apply pressure to the lawn whilst raking to remove the ‘thatch’ – layers of moss and debris that collect around the grass. Use an aerator tool to punch regular holes in your lawn, and brush in some Lawn and turf topdressing. Finally, apply an autumn lawn food.
2. Plant Cyclamen Bedding Cyclamen are possibly the most vibrant plants you can use on your patio at this time of year. Bright, swept-back flowers of pink, red, purple, crimson, salmon and white are held above the foliage of marbled dark green. Great in hanging baskets, window boxes and pots, dead-head regularly and water at the base for best results. Underplant with spring bulbs, and these will take over the show next year.
3. Clean out the greenhouse Harvest any ripe tomatoes, and cut off trusses of remaining green ones, placing them on kitchen roll on a sunny windowsill to ripen. Remove and discard the tomato plants and grow bags. Treat greenhouse staging, capillary matting and any tools with disinfectant to kill diseases. Thoroughly sweep the floor of any debris, and finally, clean the glass if necessary. 
4. Spring bulbs We have a wide range of spring flowering bulbs, ready to plant out now, including multiple varieties of Daffodil, Tulips, Crocus, Allium and Hyacinth, including more unusual varieties in our Select range such as Narcissus ‘Green Eyes’ & Crocus ‘Orange Monarch’. New this year we have a selection of “Perfect Partners”, which feature 2 packets of complementary bulbs, like the delightful Tulip/Muscari ‘Baby Shower’, which pairs frilly pink tulips and baby blue grape hyacinths. A special deal to look out for is the range of XL Bulbs – this stand features larger sized packets of bulbs for even bigger flowers – These are on offer at £2.49 each, or 3 for £6.
5. Plant Shrubs and Trees The summer has well and truly passed, and now comes the planting season – here’s 3 facts that prove October is the right month to ‘dig in’!
- Very little maintenance is needed compared to other seasons, a good watering in should suffice if the weather is cool and damp
- Soil retains the warmth of summer, and along with the higher moisture content in Autumn, this provides the ideal environment for rooting.
*Your autumn established shrubs get a head start next year, leading to a better show of flower and foliage.
There are lots of different shrubs to choose from, and although there is a trend to only plant evergreens, it’s a good idea to intermingle some deciduous (non-evergreen) shrubs in as well, as they provide floral interest, whereas the majority of evergreens are grown for their foliage.
A good exception to this rule is ericaceous shrubs, such as Camellias, Azaleas, Pieris and Rhododendrons. These are all the rage in spring, when their exotic blooms and attractive young foliage grace our gardens. Most types, especially the dwarf and Yakushimanum Rhododendrons, make good subjects for patio containers, especially if your soil is not acidic (don’t forget your ericaceous compost!). We have a large range of these plants, priced at £6.99, with a great value offer of 2 for £10.
6. Plant Autumn flowering Heathers. Our Heathers are top quality, having been grown in the UK by a specialist heather nursery, and are full of flower at the moment, in shades of pink, red, white and lilac. We have individual heathers at £1.99 each, with larger sizes available, and packs of 6 mixed autumn and spring heathers at only £7.99. Autumn heathers are lime hating, so make sure you plant them in Ericaceous compost.
Please feel free to ask at your local Cherry Lane Garden Centre for any other advice, or help with choosing the right plants for your garden. Happy Planting! Mike Smith – Cherry Lane Garden Centres.
