What to plant in October (and other gardening tasks for the month)

October is the month when you can start to take your foot off the pedal in the garden. Growth is slowing and some plants are starting to die back, so you have to adjust your eye to the gentle decline. I enjoy the tangle of stems, falling petals and seed heads as they start to collapse into one another, and there is still plenty of colour from the cosmos and dahlias, which will continue until the first frosts if you keep deadheading.

Grasses really come into their own at this time of year: the arching stems of Stipa gigantea have turned a deep golden brown and are full of airy movement, tall columns of Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’ stand out against the evergreen hedge, and the wispy seed heads of Molinia caerulea subsp. arundinacea ‘Transparent’ are still intact above its dramatic russet-orange foliage. I love all these grasses for their autumn fanfare, and they become key players in winter, too.

It’s nice to feel less pressure at this time of year but there are still things to do in the garden. October is a good month to divide clumps of perennials that have become overgrown: fast-growing, thuggish plants such as Phlomis russeliana and Cephalaria gigantea need dividing every other year (and seedlings removing); other perennials benefit from being divided every three to four years to keep them vigorous but under control. As long as the weather isn’t very wet or very dry, you can lift perennials at any time in autumn (or early spring). Some smaller plants have fibrous roots that pull apart easily, while others form clumps that can be split using two forks back to back; perennials with woody crowns or fleshy roots may need to be cut with a sharp spade or knife. Plant your divisions as soon as possible and water them in well, making sure they don’t dry out while they are re-establishing.

What to plant for October blooms

Some asters are prone to getting mildew, but ‘Patricia Ballard’ is reliably resistant, forming full and rounded mounds around 50-100cm in height. It is a lovely, strong Michaelmas daisy with masses of cheerful, bright pink blooms, each with a vibrant yellow centre. The flowers are attractive to bees and other pollinators, while birds love the seed heads, so it is as good for the wildlife garden as it is for a more formal scheme. It will thrive in moist but well- drained soil in full sun or partial shade.

Read More

All about asters (or the Michaelmas daisy) and how to grow them

An easy, free-flowering cultivar, ‘Hadspen Abundance’ bears rich pink, semi-double flowers that are slightly irregular in shape, with rounded petals appearing alternately darker and lighter, giving it a natural look. It grows in sun or partial shade, preferring a moist, humus-rich soil, and –if happy in its site –will form an expanding clump that will provide colour well into autum

This actaea has elegant bottle-brush spires that will sway in the wind on wiry, darkest purple stems. Its leaves are equally dark – almost black – and very finely divided, making them a feature in their own right. Actaeas prefer a spot in dappled shade, with moisture-retentive, humus-rich soil.

This classic sedum is often used by Piet Oudolf in his planting schemes. It provides interest over several seasons – from its neatly domed foliage in spring to its seed heads in winter. The flowers emerge pale green in bud, opening to pale pink, turning to a deeper pink and then fading to dark brown. Sedums are drought-tolerant plants once established and grow best in full sun.

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How to get the look of Piet Oudolf's magical naturalistic gardens

This eye-catching, strong-growing salvia produces rich magenta flowers, each with a dark burgundy calyx. Reaching 80cm, ‘Love and Wishes’ looks wonderful grown in the middle of a border or in a pot: it starts blooming in early summer, continuing to flower until the first frosts in winter, as long as you deadhead it regularly. Bred in Australia in 2014, this stunning salvia was awarded third place in RHS Chelsea Flower Show’s Plant of the Year competition in 2015. Grow in well-drained soil in full sun.

Liriope or lily-turf is a useful ground cover plant for full or partial shade. Preferring a humus-rich and moisture-retentive soil, ‘Okina’ has unusual foliage that emerges white, then changes to a speckled green and finally to a pure green when mature. The delicate spikes of deep violet flowers appear in late summer and into autumn.

Clare's top jobs for October

• Divide overgrown herbaceous perennials and established rhubarb crowns
• Cut back any early summer perennials that have died back
• Prune climbing roses
• Harvest apples, pears and nuts
• Plant early spring bulbs such as narcissi, fritillaries and spring crocus
• Clear summer pots and replant with spring bulbs

Read More

The best trees and shrubs to grow for decorative winter stems

Ten more things to do

1. Think about bringing in any houseplants that have been outside. Acclimatise them slowly if you can, as some plants may get a shock if they are moving into a centrally heated room. Citrus should be moved into a bright room before the cold sets in.
2. Sweet peas can be sown into plant pots to over-winter in a sheltered position or a cold frame. October is still a good time to sow lawn seed and repair bare patches that have arrived during the summer - if you have any areas of lawn that have been damaged by pets, try cordoning off the area of lawn to allow it to recover and allow the seed to set down strong roots.
3. As the garden is tidied in preparation for winter, lots of material is generated for composting. To encourage it to rot down quickly, turn the contents regularly to stir it up and allow in lots of air. If your garden has trees it is worth saving the leaves to make leaf mould which is an excellent mulch for the garden.
4. Tender herbs, such as, basil, coriander, parsley, dill and mint cannot withstand frost and it is best to bring under cover before any autumn chill. Mint, parsley, thyme, and rosemary can be left in the garden and harvested throughout the colder months in some parts of the country.
5. After clearing and cutting back the borders, it is a good time to spread a mulch to help the more tender plants through the winter and to improve the organic structure of the soil.
6. From now until early winter is the time to prune roses, especially climbing roses. Reduce the size of the plant by about a third to prevent wind rock.
7. Throughout the autumn and winter months you can plant or transplant both evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubs. During these months of dormancy, you can move shrubs and tree with minimal shock to the plants. During the colder months, plant new roses and hedging.
8. After you have finished harvesting your summer vegetables, plant a crop of green manures, for ploughing into the soil next spring. These nitrogen producing plants will provide good organic matter and food for your garden crops next year, as well as helping to control weeds over the winter.
9. Spring bulbs for forcing can be potted up now and stored in a cool, frost-free place until it is time to bring indoors, usually 12 to 15 weeks. There are lots of choices available to buy in garden centres; including Hyacinths, Narcissus and Amaryllis.
10. In the cut flower garden Dahlias and Chrysanthemums should still be producing lots of flowers. Roses may also produce their last flush of Autumnal blooms. Take advantage of the seed heads, hips and haws in the garden and hedgerow - create striking vase arrangements by mixing them with stems of perennials; for the "last floral fling".

• What to plant in December
• What to plant in November
• What to plant in September
• What to plant in August
• What to plant in July
• What to plant in June
• What to plant in May
• What to plant in April
• What to plant in March
• What to plant in February
• What to plan in January