Autumn Gardening

Quick Answer A DIY sedum green roof for a garden shed costs roughly £40 to £85 per square metre and takes about a weekend to fit. Build a tanalised timber frame with a 3cm lip, fit a waterproof membrane and protective fleece, add a thin layer of free draining substrate, then lay pre-grown sedum blankets […]

Quick Answer The most effective ways to get rid of slugs in a UK garden are: beer traps set correctly at soil level, copper tape barriers, wool pellets around vulnerable plants, nematode biological treatments (Nemaslug), hand-picking at night, and encouraging natural predators like frogs, hedgehogs, and ground beetles. No single method works alone. Combining three […]

When I first started gardening many, many moons ago, I always gardened bare-handed. It gave me a genuine sense of connection with the earth and the gardening process. It wasn’t long, though, before coworkers in my old IT 9-5 job were giving my dirt-stained hands and nails the look of horror. It looked like I’d […]

Quick Answer Prepare the ground by digging to 15cm, removing all weeds and debris, levelling, and creating a fine tilth. Lay rolled turf in a staggered brickwork pattern, butt joints tightly, water immediately, and keep moist for four to six weeks. The best time to lay turf in the UK is September to November or […]

Lee Burkhill’s complete guide to autumn lawn renovation in the UK. The correct order for scarifying, aerating, overseeding and top dressing, with timings, aftercare and common mistakes to avoid.

Lavender is a plant that people are immediately drawn to in gardens because of its colour and heady scent! Lavender has beautiful aromatic foliage that brings heady scents to the garden, along with purple spikes of flowers. It has many uses, whether as an herb, for aromatherapy in the home, in sensory applications as you […]

Quick Answer Plant spring bulbs in autumn, between September and the end of November, at a depth of three times the bulb’s own height. Choose a sunny, well-drained spot, water in after planting, and mulch to protect over winter. Most spring bulbs are perennial and will return year after year with minimal effort. The arrival […]

Quick Answer Divide herbaceous perennials in early spring or autumn when plants are not in flower. Lift the clump with a fork, split it by hand, with back-to-back forks, or with a sharp spade depending on root type, and replant divisions immediately with good compost and thorough watering. Most perennials benefit from division every two […]

Quick Answer The fastest growing plants for UK gardens include flowering shrubs such as Buddleja, Lavatera, Forsythia, and Photinia ‘Red Robin’, which can add 60cm to 1.5m per year. For ground cover, Vinca, Ajuga, and Geranium macrorrhizum spread rapidly with minimal effort. Fast-growing small trees including Amelanchier lamarckii, Sorbus aucuparia (Rowan), and Prunus ‘Amanogawa’ deliver […]

These are plants with stories woven through Anglo-Saxon charms, Druid ritual, Tudor love spells, and the extraordinary tradition of floromancy, the art of reading the future in petals and blooms. What I love about this as a garden designer is that every single one of these plants earns its place on pure horticultural merit. They […]