Here’s five ways to prep your garden for the season ahead

After a long, hot summer we’re finally starting to wind down and head towards autumn. While September typically does see days of balmy temperatures, there’s also darker, cooler nights and misty mornings to signal that autumn is around the corner. This transitional stage is a great time to take stock in your garden and get a few things in place before the next season arrives.

Watering well

Extend flowering of your plants, especially those in pots by continuing to water them, even when there's been wetter days. Rainwater tends not to permeate the soil, so plants still need watering to prolong their lifespan - it's an easy way to ensure some autumn colour in the garden.

Revive your roses

We often think of roses as a summer flower, but they can actually flower well into the autumn if you give them a little TLC now. Deadhead them now before autumn arrives to encourage them to continue to bloom. It's also a good idea to check for any black spots on leaves and remove any affected leaves, too.

Prep your pond

Falling leaves in your pond can cause sludge and will rot, so to avoid a bigger job later down the line, trim back any overhanging trees and plants. You could also install netting over the top of the pond to catch leaves and stop them falling into the water. Tap water can cause algae to form in the pond due to the chlorine, so where possible try to use rain water to top up your pond. If you don’t have a water butt in the garden then installing one now is also a good idea before autumn, as with the wetter winter weather you should be able to build up some good reserves.

Get your lawn in order

It’ll soon be time to stop mowing for the year but before you do, spend a bit of time creating tidy edges - you'll thank yourself in the spring! It's also worth investing in some autumn lawn treatment to help protect your grass over the colder months - it'll act to retain moisture and give your lawn the vital nutrients it needs.

Wood working

Over the year, wooden fixtures in the garden can get tired and broken. Before the harsh weather sets in and causes more issues, take a look at your fences, raised beds, compost bins and sheds and fix any obvious damage, remove old, chipped paint and add any weather proofing materials that might have become less effective over time. Or, if it's time to invest in some new fixtures, take a look at our raised bed kits and compost bins.