October often gets overlooked as a month for winding down, with many gardeners thinking their seasonal work is finished and focusing primarily on clearing up autumn’s colourful debris. Whether thats raking leaves, carving pumpkins or putting on thick jumpers and cleaning tools inside. This couldn’t be more wrong! Whilst others are already mentally hibernating, I’m out here at Garden Ninja HQ maximising October’s brilliant growing conditions because I know this spooky autumn month still provides plenty of gardening opportunities.
The combination of warm soil from the summer, cooling air temperatures, and increasing autumn rainfall creates perfect conditions for root development. Plants get everything they need, whether it’s warm feet for growth and more clement foliage temperatures to prevent stress, plus natural irrigation from October’s generous downpours here in the UK, which means less watering for you, Ninja!
Whether it’s planting bulbs, winter vegetables or planning my flower beds, October is an excellent month for more relaxed gardening activities. So grab that trowel and join me as I reveal exactly what you should be growing this October!
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Most gardeners in October are starting to batten down the hatches. This is probably because the weather starts to turn decidedly cooler, and most of the summer’s plants have finished their showy displays. It also doesn’t help that for years we’ve been told on TV and in books that you need to ‘clear up your garden’ or put it to rest, when this couldn’t be further from the truth!
I’m here to tell you, Ninjas, that this is actually prime time for getting ahead with next year’s garden success.
October presents unique opportunities that many gardeners completely miss:
October marks the beginning of one of the most exciting times in the gardening calendar: bare-root season! This is when you can order premium trees and shrubs for a fraction of the cost of container-grown specimens, and the planting conditions are absolutely perfect in Autumn. If you order bare roots now, you will have them ready for planting from November through to February.
I love planting bare roots, as they are a surefire way to plant larger shrubs or even trees without the spring or summer stress of constantly watering them to ensure they survive. As the ground is still warm, but the weather above ground is cooler, any bare-root plants need far less watering and attention, as they are transpiring at a lower rate due to being dormant. This means you can plant with ease, and by spring, the specimens you’ve planted will have slowly established their roots over winter, ready to burst into life come April.
Essentially, a bare root is a dormant plant that is lifted in late autumn to early winter and sent out with its roots exposed, in a potless state. This has the benefit of making shipping a lot cheaper, and it’s easier to lift these plants and dig them in, as you’re not also lugging huge pots of soil around. In fact, nearly 90% of my 140+ trees here at Garden Ninja were all planted bare root during November each year, and all gardening experts know why this is the best way to plant shrubs and trees.
Planning your bare-root trees and shrubs in October allows you to work out your planting plans, order your plants, and then dig your holes ready for their delivery in November. It’s a very organised, low-effort way to plant trees and shrubs, and I would highly recommend it. If you haven’t already seen or read my guides on what bare-root plants are, you can find them here.
If I’ve got you excited about what you can order as bare roots, then here are my top 20 bare-root plant specimens that are suitable even for beginners. I’ve grouped them by plant type so you can easily find what you’re looking for. In my garden design practice, I often plant up gardens with bare-root plants in the autumn, such as trees or rare shrubs. It’s remarkable just how many types of plants can be ordered as bare roots; it’s not just roses any more! Let me show you a sample of what you can plant this October.
The cornerstone of British orchards, apple trees offer incredible variety when bought bare root. Heritage varieties like ‘Egremont Russet’ and modern disease-resistant cultivars such as ‘Red Windsor’ provide options for every garden. Self-fertile varieties eliminate pollination worries, whilst dwarfing rootstocks make them perfect for small spaces. Trained forms like cordons and espaliers maximise fruit production in minimal space, making apples ideal for urban gardens. I believe every garden should have at least one tree, and apples are a perfect choice! Imagine if all the gardens in the UK had one, the bees, insects and birds would be in paradise!
Sweet cherries provide spectacular spring blossom followed by delicious summer fruit. ‘Stella’ is self-fertile and perfect for smaller gardens, whilst ‘Morello’ sour cherries thrive in north-facing positions where other fruits struggle. The dual purpose of ornamental value and productivity makes cherry trees excellent garden investments, providing years of beauty and harvests. Just get to the fruits before the birds do!
Long-lived and productive, pear trees are exceptionally well-suited to the UK climate. ‘Conference’ remains the most popular variety, being partially self-fertile and reliable even in challenging seasons. Pears can live for decades, gradually improving with age, and their upright growth habit makes them suitable for smaller gardens when grown on dwarfing rootstocks. Pears make great screening trees for overlooked or new build gardens.
Victoria plums are the quintessential British garden fruit tree, self-fertile and incredibly productive. The purple fruits are perfect for eating fresh or making preserves. Plum trees provide stunning spring blossom and can be trained against walls or fences to save space whilst maximising fruit production in sheltered, sunny positions. Make plum or damson jam with the fruits each August for a delicious treat!
These hardy relatives of plums are incredibly resilient and productive. Damsons thrive in challenging conditions where other fruits might struggle, producing small, intensely flavoured purple fruits perfect for jams, gin, and traditional preserves. They’re particularly valuable in northern gardens and exposed locations. There is an old saying that ‘you plant a plum for your son and a damson for your grandson‘ as they are so long living!
The backbone of British hedgerows, hawthorn creates impenetrable barriers whilst supporting incredible wildlife diversity. Its thorny nature provides excellent security, whilst the spring blossom and autumn berries feed countless birds and insects. Fast-growing and incredibly tolerant of pollution and salt spray, hawthorn adapts to almost any UK location.
Perhaps the most elegant of hedging plants, beech creates formal barriers that retain their coppery autumn leaves throughout winter, providing year-round interest. The dense growth creates excellent wind protection and privacy screens. Green beech (Fagus sylvatica) is the traditional choice, though copper beech adds warm tones to the garden palette.
Often called the ‘muscle wood’ due to its incredibly hard timber, hornbeam creates dense, formal hedging similar to beech but more tolerant of heavy, waterlogged soils. It retains its leaves throughout winter and responds well to clipping, making it ideal for creating living architecture in challenging soil conditions.
The classic suburban hedge, privet, provides fast-growing evergreen screening that tolerates urban pollution exceptionally well. Golden privet varieties add colour variation, while the dense growth creates excellent noise barriers and provides shelter for wildlife. Regular clipping maintains a neat, formal appearance throughout the year.
The aristocrat of hedging plants, Yew, creates the finest formal hedges and topiary. Extremely long-lived (with some specimens over 1,000 years old), yew provides dense, evergreen screening and responds beautifully to clipping. Though slow-growing initially, it creates hedging of unmatched quality and longevity.
Essential for formal garden design, box creates low hedging perfect for parterre gardens and topiary work. The small, evergreen leaves respond excellently to precise clipping, allowing intricate shapes and patterns. Though slower-growing than other hedging plants, box provides unmatched refinement in formal settings.
This native shrub creates impenetrable security hedging whilst providing exceptional wildlife value. The early white blossom appears before the leaves, creating stunning spring displays, followed by sloe berries beloved by birds and gin enthusiasts alike. The vicious thorns make blackthorn ideal for boundary security.
Fast-growing evergreen hedging that creates instant impact and privacy. The glossy, dark green leaves provide year-round screening, whilst the vigorous growth quickly fills gaps and creates dense barriers. Particularly effective in shaded areas where other evergreens might struggle.
Native shrubs valuable for their coloured winter stems, particularly varieties with red or yellow bark. Excellent for wildlife, tolerating wet soils where other plants fail. The small white flowers support insects, whilst the berries feed birds, making dogwood perfect for naturalistic planting schemes.
The graceful native tree brings elegance to any garden with its distinctive white bark and delicate foliage. Silver birch provides dappled shade, stunning autumn colour, and supports over 300 species of insects. The catkins provide early nectar for bees, whilst the seeds feed finches and other small birds.
Britain’s only native maple creates rounded trees with spectacular autumn colour. The small, lobed leaves turn brilliant yellow and orange, whilst the winged seeds (keys) provide food for wildlife. Field maple adapts to most soil conditions and creates excellent specimen trees or can be used in mixed native hedging. Great for poor clay soil or new build rubbly ground.
Multi-stemmed native trees, hazel provides nuts for humans and wildlife like squirells, while the catkins offer early pollen for bees. Traditional coppicing creates renewable supplies of poles and rods, whilst the open growth habit allows spring flowers to flourish beneath the canopy. Coping also keeps their height down and allows you to shape these versatile trees.
Summer and autumn varieties extend the harvest season from June through October. Modern varieties like ‘Glen Ample’ provide heavy crops of large, sweet berries, whilst autumn varieties such as ‘Autumn Bliss’ fruit on current season’s growth, simplifying pruning. Raspberries provide excellent returns in small spaces.
Powerhouses of vitamin C; they provide exceptional health benefits alongside productive harvests. Modern varieties, such as ‘Ben Sarek’, are compact and disease-resistant, making them ideal for smaller gardens. The aromatic leaves can be used for teas, whilst the berries are perfect for jams, cordials, and desserts.
Tolerating partial shade better than most fruits, gooseberries bridge the gap between rhubarb and summer berries. Early varieties provide tart cooking fruits, while late dessert varieties offer sweet eating fruits. The thorny bushes require minimal care once established and can crop productively for decades.
| Plant Name | Type | Key Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Apple Trees | Fruit Tree | Heritage varieties, self-fertile options, excellent for small gardens |
| Hawthorn | Hedge | Native, wildlife magnet, brilliant for boundaries, thorny security |
| Beech | Hedge/Tree | Retains autumn leaves, formal hedging, beautiful copper tones |
| Cherry Trees | Fruit Tree | Spring blossom, delicious fruit, ornamental value |
| Pear Trees | Fruit Tree | Conference variety popular, good for UK climate, long-lived |
| Hornbeam | Hedge | Dense hedging, retains leaves, tolerates heavy clay |
| Roses | Shrub | Wider variety selection, establishes quickly, disease-resistant options |
| Privet | Hedge | Fast-growing, evergreen screening, tolerates urban pollution |
| Plum Trees | Fruit Tree | Victoria variety reliable, beautiful spring blossom, productive |
| Blackcurrants | Soft Fruit | High vitamin C, easy to grow, productive for years |
| Field Maple | Tree/Hedge | Native, stunning autumn colour, wildlife value |
| Raspberry Canes | Soft Fruit | Summer and autumn varieties, high yield, easy picking |
| Yew | Hedge | Evergreen, topiary potential, extremely long-lived, dense |
| Gooseberries | Soft Fruit | Tolerates partial shade, early fruit, culinary and dessert varieties |
| Silver Birch | Tree | Stunning white bark, graceful habit, native species |
| Box | Hedge | Evergreen, perfect for topiary, slow but steady growth |
| Blackthorn | Hedge | Native, sloe berries, early white blossom, security hedge |
| Hazel | Tree/Hedge | Native, nuts for wildlife, coppicing potential, catkins |
| Damson Trees | Fruit Tree | Hardy fruit tree, excellent for preserves, productive |
| Laurel | Hedge | Fast-growing evergreen, glossy leaves, tolerates shade |
October is an ideal time to continue your spring bulb planting programme, with some varieties that actually prefer later planting. So if September’s prime bulb planting window has passed you by, do not panic, Ninja. I actually prefer planting bulbs like daffodils and tulips in October, once I’ve finished harvesting my apples and pears. After all, who wants to get all stressed trying to plant hundreds of bulbs in September!
Tulips should ideally be planted from the end of October to December, as they actually benefit from later planting. This prevents them from emerging too early and getting caught by late frosts. The bulbs should be planted at three times their depth with pointed ends facing upwards. ‘Queen of Night’ offers dramatic dark purple blooms, whilst ‘Orange Emperor’ provides brilliant early spring colour.
Blue bells are just glorious and are so small that they fit into any-sized garden. They create magical carpets of spring colour and October is perfect for establishing these woodland beauties. Plant them beneath trees or in informal lawn areas where they can naturalise. English bluebells are the authentic choice and will self-seed to create stunning drifts over time.
Whilst these little specimens are challenging to get to flower, the rewarding bulbs provide crucial early nectar for bees if you’re successful. As the bulbs (well, corms actually) are so tiny, they are worth a go. I prefer to site them under trees in rich soil, and they usually have a good success rate. I’ve never managed to get them to naturalise in lawns in my 30 years of gardenin,g though! These tiny golden flowers push through the snow, signalling winter’s end. Soak the hard tubers overnight before planting to improve establishment.
October is absolutely brilliant for sowing hardy annuals that haven’t been covered in my August and September guides – these beauties will give you earlier, stronger flowers than spring-sown relatives. So, although the clouds may be moving in, planting these directly (into flower beds or drills in an allotment garden) ensures that they germinate before winter sets in and are ready to flower next year or the year after. Besides, who doesn’t love sowing seeds and waiting for those tiny green leaves to appear?!
Verbascums are magnificent architectural biennials that create towering flower spikes up to 2 metres tall. Sow seeds now in pots and they’ll develop strong rosettes over winter before producing spectacular flower spikes next summer. ‘Phoeniceum’ offers purple flowers, whilst ‘Album’ provides pure white spires that look absolutely stunning against dark foliage.
All of which can be planted out now from garden centre plugs. Winter pansies provide invaluable colour throughout the coldest months, whilst forget-me-nots create clouds of blue that are perfect for underplanting spring bulbs. Polyanthus or cowslips are fab evergreen ‘doers’ in the garden, great for wet soggy soil too!
Sweet peas can be sown in October for the strongest plants next year. These will develop much more robust root systems than spring-sown varieties and burst into flower weeks earlier. Sow in deep pots or root trainers to accommodate their long taproots. ‘Cupani’ offers incredible fragrance, whilst ‘Lord Nelson’ provides deep blue blooms.
October offers fantastic opportunities for establishing crops that will provide fresh harvests throughout winter, something not covered in my earlier seasonal guides. Mainly, these are salad leaves under the protection of a greenhouse or more hardy perennial kales and spinach. Whilst not as exciting as summer fruits and vegetables, they do help bulk up your larder over the winter and pair well with roast dinners, soups, and stews. After all, if you don’t plant something back in your kitchen garden, weeds will just take their place, so you may as well have something you want!
Varieties sown now will provide crisp leaves throughout the darker months. Choose hardy varieties like ‘Winter Density’ that can withstand frost and cold conditions. Sow in cold frames or unheated greenhouses for the best results.
This little beauty provides a watercress-like flavour without needing running water. Land cress is a hardy annual that thrives in partial shade and offers excellent nutritional value throughout winter. It’s virtually indestructible once established, so great for those awkward, shady borders where nothing grows.
This perennial spinach is more reliable than true spinach and provides tender leaves continuously. Unlike true spinach, it won’t bolt to seed at the first sign of stress and continues to produce throughout the winter. However, you do need to pick the leaves frequently to stop them from turning tough and bitter.
This unusual herb is established from October sowings and adds a delicate, sophisticated flavour to winter dishes. This gourmet herb produces ferny foliage that’s beautiful enough for ornamental borders, while providing subtle anise notes to soups and salads. It can be a bit tricky to germinate, but don’t give up, Ninjas. It’s a fabulous herb to bring on in October within a greenhouse for a gorgeous, sophisticated herb next spring for your cooking. It’s often mistaken with parsley, but the scent and taste are far more exquisite!
Sown now, it will establish beautifully and provide fresh leaves throughout the winter. Choose flat-leaf varieties for superior flavour or curly types for attractive garnish potential. Again, this is a gap filler crop, and whilst it won’t feed the entire family, it’s an excellent garnish for winter dishes.
October is the month when your pumpkin and squash growing efforts finally pay off! After months of watering, feeding and lifting your ghords off the ground and onto straw, October is the month when pumpkins come into their own. They are finally ready to cut away from their foliage and bring them indoors to cure. These amazing vegetables can be stored for months if they are intact and undamaged, but I bet you Ninjas will be desperate to cook with them and make some delicious autumnal treats. Let me show you how to harvest squashes and pumpkins properly to avoid damage and how to know when they are ready!
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds are incredibly nutritious and delicious, making them a great way to use up any seeds you scoop out of your pumpkins when making soups or Halloween jack-o’-lanterns. Wash seeds thoroughly, removing all pulp, then toss with oil and seasoning. Roast at 180°C for 10-15 minutes until golden and crunchy. They’re high in iron, fibre, and healthy fats – much better than shop-bought snacks!
October is absolutely packed with other essential garden tasks that set you up for next year. Rather than doomscrolling or sitting watching reruns of Friends at the colder weekends, why not set out to finally fix up all of those jobs you didn’t get around to this year in the garden? Or better still, propagating plants that need hardwood cuttings or winter to regenerate!
Taking hardwood cuttings from your favourite deciduous shrubs is one of the easiest ways to propagate plants for free! Ribes (flowering currant), forsythia, and willow all root readily from hardwood cuttings, which are child’s play to propagate. Cut pencil-thick shoots about 20cm long, dip in rooting hormone, and push into a sheltered spot in the garden or alternatively watch my video guide on hardwood cuttings below.
This prevents windrock damage over winter. Cut back tall varieties by about one-third to reduce their wind resistance. This is more of a preventative step to stop roses getting damaged; there is no finesse about this, just a simple cut back to 1/3 with clean, sharp secateurs or loppers. Don’t worry about precise pruning now, as that comes in February.
Do you have shrubs that are in the wrong place? If so, then October is the best time to lift and move them while they’re dormant. This is much less stressful for the plants than moving them during the growing season. Read my detailed guide to lifting shrubs here so you can finally get them in the right position!
Use fleece to wrap banana plants (Musa) and tree ferns. Or use straw tied around with twine or string to protect from winter frosts. These architectural plants are worth protecting as they provide such amazing structure, but if left exposed, the cold and wet frosts can quite quickly kill them.
Consider collecting seeds from hardy perennials like astrantia, achillea, and red valerian, and sow them straight away. This is nature’s timing, as these seeds often germinate better when sown fresh for these specimens. So rather than letting Mother Nature decide where she will scatter them, you can help her by making your own choices!
This is more of a maintenance task, so they can’t harbour pests and diseases through winter. Add healthy plant material to the compost heap, but burn anything diseased.
Plant amaryllis bulbs in pots now for spectacular flowers over the festive season. These make fantastic Christmas presents and provide much-needed colour during the darkest months, but they do take about 6 weeks from planting to start to send up stems for flowers, so October means you’ll have flowers in time for Christmas!
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October gardening rewards careful planning with incredible results that provide satisfaction throughout the darkest months and stunning displays come spring. This often-overlooked month allows you to secure fantastic bargains while establishing plants in perfect conditions.
Whether you’re planting bare-root fruit trees for future harvests, sowing hardy annuals for early spring colour, or preserving your pumpkin harvest for winter meals, October efforts create the foundation for year-round gardening success. After all, who doesn’t want a garden that provides fresh food and gorgeous flowers whilst saving money on expensive container-grown plants?
Get out there, Ninjas, and make October your secret weapon for next year’s garden triumph!
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