Head Gardeners’ tips
October 2024

From the first seeds sown in March, the garden is a hive of activity and a constant battle against the elements, pests and time, in order to keep up with appearances. I never quite feel like I can truly stop and enjoy the garden in the same way I can in October. Now I am forced to slow down as the weather dictates when jobs can be done, in what is traditionally the second wettest month of the year. It is also more than acceptable, even favourable, to have brown leaves and seedheads to the forefront. As Piet Oudolf once wrote, ‘brown is a colour too’.  As the temperatures cool and the sun shifts lower in the sky it is easier to carry out heavy, laborious  chores such as lifting and dividing perennials, planting bulbs, or digging over beds and borders.

As for colour, well, for me the colours of autumn are much richer and luxuriant than any other time, coming from more than just flowers, but also foliage, seed heads, and even bark. It still astonishes me how an unassuming tree can suddenly become the star of the garden and contain more colour than a whole bed of perennials.

There are still plenty of jobs to do in the garden, some of which with looming deadlines, but for me it starts to feel a little bit more manageable, or at least that the end is in sight and a well-earned rest is imminent. This can also come with a sense of sadness, as the garden starts getting pulled back into the earth, and those plants that have brought you joy all summer start fading and decaying. So really pay attention to all those plants working hard to brighten the darkening days and keep looking to the future. The Audrey Hepburn quote ‘to plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow‘ for me, is never truer than when planting autumn bulbs. We spend a lot of time (and money) planting these little golden nuggets deep into the soil, with the hope and belief that they will reward us up to six months from now. Yet I am filled with the same excitement and anticipation every year when those first bulbs go in, and I get through the darkest days of winter dreaming of the jewels of spring.

For me, the gardening year is a marathon that begins with the starting pistol firing in March and the crossing of the finish line in October. Now is the time to slow down, stretch those tired muscles and revel in what you’ve achieved. Do it with family and friends, by sharing the last of the harvests, putting up some garden lighting and making a bowl of hot spiced cider to share. Breath in the aromas of woodsmoke and damp leaves and rest those weary bones in your favourite spot in the garden. Gather together all those gardening books you’ve been too busy to read, put on a jumper, light a fire, and start the ‘training’ for next year:

• Lift and store tender plants: It may be wise to lift some of those more tender plants, such as salvia and dahlias and move them to a cosier home over the winter. This may not be necessary for everyone, depending on location and climate, but for me, it’s just not worth the risk of losing some of my favourite plants.
• Sow hardy annuals: We are sowing sweet peas, poppies, ammi visnaga and even antirrhinum in the greenhouse to get some earlier flowers next year. This is preferably done in September, so put it at the top of the to-do list for early October.
• Plant some edibles: Garlic and onions can be sown direct this month, as long as your soil is free draining. If not, add some grit when planting or plant in cells under cover, ready to plant out in spring. We will be planting some elephant garlic and shallots.
• Spring bulbs: Hopefully you have already pre-ordered your bulbs for autumn planting and they are arriving any day. If not, there are plenty to choose from in your local garden centres and nurseries. The majority of bulbs can be planted now, but leave your tulips until November to help protect against disease. Even consider forcing some hyacinths or daffodils for indoor flowers and scent this Christmas.
• Order bare root plants: Bare root season has been pushed later and later into the year due to milder seasons, so now is the time to take stock of those gaps and pre-order some bare root perennials, roses, trees or shrubs. Bare root plants are generally much cheaper to buy and have a wider selection available.
• Divide and conquer: October is a great time to lift and divide perennials. This can be done with most perennials that have been in the ground for 2-3 years. This not only gives you extra plants, but can rejuvenate those that are starting to lose vigour. You could pot up some of your divisions in peat free compost and give as a sustainable, personal Christmas present.
• Save seeds: Look out for seed heads on plants such as cosmos, zinnia, dahlias or even those forgotten sweet peas. Collect them on a dry day, leave them to dry in a warm, well-ventilated place for a few days before storing in a brown envelope for sowing in spring. This may take a bit of forward thinking and resisting the urge to deadhead earlier in the season, but you could end up discovering a brand new variety of plant!

Plant highlights in Horatio’s Garden Northern Ireland

• Red maple ‘October Glory’
• Sweet gum ‘Worplesdon’
• Dahlia ‘Bishop’s Children’
• Black-eyed Susan ‘Cappuccino’
• Symphyotrichum ‘Blue Haven’
• Aster ‘Mönch’
• Sneezeweed ‘Moerheim Beauty’
• Rose ‘Desdemona’
• Red bistort ‘Dark Red’
• Paperback maple
• Rainbow chard
• Seven son flower tree
• Tufted hair grass
• Eulalia ‘Kleine Fontäne’
• Switch grass ‘Hans Herms’