Autumn Gardening

Quick Answer Japanese anemones flower from late summer into November when almost everything else in the border has finished, thriving in full sun, part shade and even dry shade under trees. They are also some of the toughest perennials you can plant, spreading steadily by rhizome once established, so choose their spot with intent rather […]

Quick Answer A bulb planter tool is a simple hand tool that removes a plug of soil so you can drop a bulb straight in at the right depth, then replace the plug on top. Handheld planters suit small quantities and containers, long-handled planters let you work standing up for borders and lawns, and drill-powered […]

🌱 Quick Answer For most UK gardens the Dirty Pro Tools Garden Shredder is the best all-rounder, powerful enough for a proper pruning clear-up and priced sensibly for occasional use. If you are shredding thick or woody branches regularly, the Makita UD2500 is quieter and far less prone to blocking. If you only need something […]

🌱 Quick Answer For most UK gardens the Ryobi OBV18 18V ONE+ Brushless Blow-Vacuum is the best all-rounder, powerful enough for a full autumn clear-up and versatile enough to mulch leaves into the bag rather than just moving them somewhere else. If you would rather stay corded, the Flymo PowerVac 2700 covers the same blow, […]

Quick Answer Bare root hedging plants are lifted from the field while dormant and sold without a pot or compost, costing roughly half to a third of the equivalent container grown plant. Plant them between November and March, work mycorrhizal fungi into the trench, then cut them back hard the first spring to force bushy […]

🌱 Quick Answer Plant tulip bulbs in November, after the first hard frosts, in a sunny spot with sharp drainage. Set them three times their own depth, roughly 15 to 20cm down, pointy end facing up. Waiting until November rather than jumping in with the daffodils in September is the single biggest factor in avoiding […]

Quick Answer Sloe gin is made by pricking ripe sloes, layering them with sugar and gin in an airtight jar, then leaving the mixture in a dark cupboard for at least three months, shaking it weekly. Sloes are traditionally picked after the first autumn frost, though freezing fresh sloes overnight has exactly the same softening […]

Quick Answer Pumpkins and squashes are ready to harvest once the skin resists a firm thumbnail press, the colour has fully changed for that variety, and the stem has dried out and gone woody. In the UK this usually falls in the last two weeks of September through to the first week of October, ideally […]

Quick Answer Acers most often die or decline in UK gardens because of leaf scorch from drying wind, hot sun or drought, which is environmental rather than a disease and is by far the commonest cause. Late spring frost damaging tender new growth, a container that has become root bound and dries out faster than […]

Quick Answer For most UK gardens, an 85 litre single wheel barrow with a pneumatic tyre handles everyday jobs comfortably. If you regularly move a lot of soil, compost or rubble, a two wheel barrow around 200 litres, such as the Agri Barrow twin wheel model, saves trips and keeps you steadier underfoot. If balance […]