As the trees turn rich shades of gold, red and orange, it’s time to harvest the last of your summer crops, prepare your garden for winter and start planning for spring. And to get you started, here are Boma's top gardening tips as Autumn is in full swing.
October in UK landscapes is a month of dramatic change. Trees transform into a spectrum of golds, oranges, and reds, and the fallen leaves create natural mulch as plants start their seasonal dormancy. The increased rainfall softens the ground, making it an excellent time for planting hardy shrubs, bulbs, and perennials, while also nourishing the soil. Wildlife adjusts too, with birds preparing for the leaner months ahead.
1. Evergreen Shrubs and Autumn Planting
October is the perfect time to plant hardy evergreens like Skimmia, Boma's October plant of the month, Mahonia, Pittosporum, and Laurus nobilis (bay laurel). These shrubs add structure to your garden year-round. Ferns like Arachniodes and Polystichum polyblepharum flourish in the shady corners of urban gardens, while ornamental grasses such as Stipa bring movement and texture.
The natural breakdown of falling leaves creates mulch that insulates the soil and retains moisture, providing a low-maintenance way to enrich your garden. The combination of regular rain and mild autumn weather helps these plants root effectively, ensuring they survive the colder months.
2. Planting Spring Bulbs
October is a key time for planting spring-flowering bulbs like daffodils, hyacinths, alliums, and irises. These bulbs need the winter cold to establish strong roots and bloom in the spring. If you’re working with containers or small garden spaces, try lasagna planting, where bulbs are layered by depth, creating a staggered display in spring. You can even plant tulip bulbs all the way through to November, to avoid fungal issues.
3. Refresh Autumn Bedding Plants
Autumn bedding plants like Cyclamen, Violas, and Pansies thrive in the cooler weather. These low-maintenance options are ideal for brightening up window boxes, borders, and containers through the autumn and into winter. Heuchera adds colour and contrast with its vibrant foliage, making it a great companion to Cyclamen and Skimmia in autumn planters.
If you want a quick and simple way to refresh your garden, ready-made planters offer the perfect solution. Combinations of Cyclamen, Heuchera, Skimmia, and Pansies are available and can easily be placed on patios, doorsteps, or balconies to give a seasonal pop of colour without much effort. Boma has Outdoor Potted Plants, available for delivery throughout London.
4. Lawn and Soil Care
October is also the right time to aerate your lawn to relieve compaction after summer. This allows water and nutrients to penetrate deeper into the soil. After aerating, apply a low-nitrogen autumn feed to strengthen your lawn through the winter.
In urban gardens, where lawns are often compacted by foot traffic, this is particularly important. Additionally, scarifying the lawn—removing thatch and moss—will improve its health and appearance.
Sweep up fallen leaves to create leaf mould, an excellent soil conditioner. If you don’t have space for a compost heap, you can gather leaves into black bin bags with holes poked in them and store them out of sight. In a year or two, the leaves will break down into nutrient-rich leaf mould.
5. Pruning and Dividing Perennials
Now’s the time to prune climbing roses and reduce shrub roses by half to prevent wind damage during winter storms. You can also lift and divide perennials like geraniums, salvias, daylilies, and agapanthus to refresh their growth and prevent overcrowding. Use garden forks back-to-back to gently tease apart roots or, for tougher clumps, cut through woody roots with a spade or sharp knife.
If you have summer-fruiting raspberries, cut this year’s fruited canes down to ground level, leaving only the new canes that will bear fruit next summer.
6. Planting and Harvesting Vegetables
Harvest the last of your runner beans and French beans. After cutting them down, leave the roots in the ground to naturally release nitrogen into the soil, which will benefit future crops.
Now is also a great time to sow hardy peas like ‘Avola’. Protect the seeds from mice by covering the ground with netting or a layer of prickly holly leaves.
7. Caring for Houseplants in Autumn
As daylight hours shorten, your houseplants will need extra care. Spathiphyllum (Peace Lily), Boma's October indoor plant of the month, thrives in lower light levels and helps to freshen up darker corners of your home. Other great indoor plants for autumn include:
- Anthurium (Flamingo Lily) for bright flowers
- Calathea (Peacock Plant) with its striking patterned leaves
- Hoya (Wax Plant), which adds trailing interest
- Phalaenopsis (Orchid), which offers long-lasting blooms.
Reduce watering and mist regularly to maintain humidity levels, especially with indoor heating drying the air.
8. Supporting Urban Wildlife
Autumn can be tough on wildlife, so setting up bird feeders is a great way to help local species. Birds such as robins, tits, and sparrows will rely on feeders as natural food sources become scarce. Boma stocks a wide range of Henry Bell bird food and feeders, including seed mixes and suet balls, perfect for giving birds the energy they need during the colder months.
9. Other Key Gardening Tasks
- Pick green tomatoes and ripen them indoors with a banana in a paper bag.
- Lift and store dahlia, begonia, and gladiolus bulbs in dry conditions if you live in colder areas.
- Move half-hardy plants to a frost-free location like a greenhouse or sunny windowsill.
- Raise pots on planter feet to prevent waterlogging and freezing over the winter.
Visit Boma for Advice and Supplies
October is a busy month for gardeners, and Boma Garden Centre is here to help you with all your autumn tasks. Whether you’re planting spring bulbs, pruning roses, or caring for your houseplants, Boma offers expert advice and a wide range of plants, tools, and supplies. Pop in or visit us online to find everything you need to keep your garden thriving through the colder months.
