Autumn Gardening

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 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 […]

Quick Answer Scarify your lawn in early autumn (September to October) once the grass is growing well but weed pressure is falling. Mow short first, set blades 2 to 3mm into the soil, make two passes at 45 degrees to each other, then overseed immediately at 15 to 35 grams per square metre and water […]

Quick Answer Plant allium bulbs in autumn, from September to November, in well-drained soil at a depth of four times the bulb’s diameter. Most alliums flower from May to June, though later varieties like Allium sphaerocephalon extend the display right into August. They are hardy throughout the UK, require very little attention once planted, and […]