Gardening calendar - October-December (From Free Press Series)

Gardening calendar - October-December

Autumn and early winter is a time of hard work, clearing up and tidying the garden in preparation for winter.

There are many up sides to it as well, especially the rich tapestry of colour that autumn foliage brings to our gardens and countryside.

Take time to visit Westonbirt Arboretum where the colours on the trees will leave you stunned. You can now go on a night walk where the lights around the pathways change and accentuate the colours.

This period in the gardening calendar is also a time for planning. Plan now your spring bulb displays. Every spring I look around other people's gardens and see the wonderful displays of daffs and tulips and I always promise myself that I will plant my own in the autumn. This year I will and so should you.

JOBS FOR OCTOBER

As and when the wind blows, rake up the leaves.

Collect up debris throughout. Bin anything that has any fungal infections, especially black spot infected leaves around roses.

Take hardwood cuttings.

Trim your leylandii hedging.

If you have clay soils, lift and store your dahlias and gladioli. If you have well-drained soil you might get away with leaving them in.

Plan your spring displays of bulbs and buy them early in the month before the selections get diminished.

Spray outdoor nectarines and peaches against peach leaf curl.

Dig and store the last of your potatoes.

Put grease bands on your fruit trees.

Plant your spring bedding, ie pansies, wallflowers, primroses, polyanthus, etc.

Bring citrus azaleas and orchids inside.

Overhaul all your bird-feeding equipment. Leave some of the seed heads on plants to give birds some natural food.

Leave some heaps of leaves in corners for hedgehogs to hibernate in.

JOBS FOR NOVEMBER

Keep tidying and getting ready for winter.

Clear out your bird boxes and keep putting food out for birds.

Bring in or protect any tender shrubs before the worst of the frosts. Wrap up pots left out for winter.

Make sure your pots are all on feet to aid drainage.

Plant any bare root fruit, roses or trees.

Winter prune where necessary. You can also trim back roses and hardy fuchsias to cut down on disturbance by wind or wind rock.

Insulate your greenhouse and make sure your heater is working to protect any over wintering plants.

Plant all your spring bedding and bulbs.

Plant your aquadulce broad beans.

Check all your pots to make sure that they don't dry out. This is especially important with evergreen shrubs and bamboos.

Get on with your winter digging and mulching.

JOBS FOR DECEMBER

Prune fruit trees and bushes and woody ornamental plants.

Keep feeding the birds. Make sure they have an adequate supply of water.

Keep tidying and repairing.

Check your greenhouse heater is working.

Apply growing success winter wash to kill dormant eggs on fruit trees.

Still OK for hardwood cuttings.

Enjoy the autumn. Although it may be hard to find a lot of flower at this time of the year, interest in the garden comes in many other ways.

Watching birds and squirrels compete for food can be captivating.

The autumn foliage and also the stem colours from dogwoods and birches, mixed with berry colour from hollies, pyracanthus and sorbus varieties showing up against the white of the frost or mist make this one of my favourite times of the year.