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Autumn - Time For Change

© Jane Hollis

To me autumn is an exciting time of year. Not because of the colouring leaves and glowing berries, although they are always appreciated, but because it is time to start making changes in the garden. Rain is now frequent which makes the soil easy to dig and means transplanted plants need little watering. The temperature, however, is still reasonably warm which helps the plants establish quickly.

Very few of the plants will have died down yet so it is easy to see where everything is and move those that are in the wrong place. During the year I make a list in the back of my diary of all those plants that need moving in the autumn or areas of the garden that need additional seasonal interest. For example, moving the Sedum spectabile (iceberg plant) in front of the Leucanthemum x superbum (Shasta daisy) will help hide the unsightly lower stems of the daisies. The front garden is lacking in late summer colour so I will plant some Penstemons and hardy Fuchsias.

One of the main tasks this autumn will be planting bulbs for a spring display - there always seems to be room for more spring bulbs in the garden. I am adding extra dwarf daffodils and Fritillaria meleagris (snakeshead fritillary) to the mini meadow and planting more Mount Hood and Ice Follies daffodils at the back of the borders (which means their dying leaves are quickly hidden by growing perennials). I am also planning to sprinkle some Chionodoxa (glory of the snow) in the front of the borders.

As well as moving plants around, now is the time to start planning changes to the structure of the garden. Would you like a new water feature, a pergola, new pathways, a gravel garden or a new island bed? Now is a good time to plan and construct such features. Take a hard, critical look at your garden - what are it's faults? Does it lack mystery and surprise, because you can see the whole garden in a glance? Could you add screens, hedging or shrub beds to conceal more of the garden?

Perhaps the garden is too flat, with little vertical interest. Why not add a tree, some tall shrubs, an archway or a pergola? Or is your garden too busy, with too many materials and competing focal points? Perhaps you could reduce the number of features or screen them so that only one can be seen at a time.

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