5 Reasons Why You Should Start Your Gardening Journey in Autumn

Like many new gardeners, you might feel as though you’ve missed your opportunity to begin your gardening journey now that spring and summer have passed. But we’re here to tell you that autumn couldn’t be a better time of year to start! There are so many jobs to do in the garden in autumn and starting your garden plan now, rather than next spring, opens so many new opportunities for you, including autumn sown seedlings, bulbs and more!

Let’s dive into a few reasons why you should start your gardening journey in autumn:

It’s the perfect time to plan for the year ahead:

Autumn is the time for cutting back and clearing away dying foliage and withered flowers; it allows you to view the space you have with fresh eyes. Grab a piece of paper or gardening diary and be sure to take note of any perennials you’ve cut to the ground, so you remember where they are! Now’s the time to design your borders with fresh bulbs, new flower varieties and any other plants you want to add to your garden. Perhaps you started your garden earlier in the year, but this is your first autumn in the garden - take a minute to look through your photos and see what worked and what didn’t. Revise and plan for the year ahead! Watch Lizzie’s top tips for designing a garden here.

Stronger plants for next year’s garden.

Autumn is the perfect time to start certain seedlings off early – giving them that head start allows for stronger roots and healthier plants for next year’s garden. You can autumn sow lots of things, but we suggest giving sweet peas, cornflowers and nigella a try! 

You won’t miss out on spring colour!

Whilst thinking to yourself ‘I’ve missed this year’s flowers, I’ll just have to wait until next year!’ is fine for summer annuals and late flowering plants but to get that gorgeous spring colour, you really need to be thinking a lot further ahead.

Don’t miss out on spring colour next year by getting your bulbs in the ground now! Fill your borders with as many bulbs as you can – we promise you won’t be disappointed.  

If you’ve got limited border space, you can still join in on the fun! Bulb lasagnes are perfect for an abundance of spring colour .

You can use the resources available to you now for a better garden next year.

 We all associate autumn with beautiful orange colours and falling leaves, but these can be so much more useful than you might think! By collecting leaves and storing them in a bin bag for a year, you’ve made your very own leafmould! 

Finally, it gives you a reason to get outside and enjoy nature!

Whilst the days are getting shorter and colder, our gardens can still bring us joy all year round and we encourage you to get outside and enjoy everything it has to offer.

Never miss a gardening opportunity again by signing up for the Monthly Gardening Subscription Box! You’ll receive gorgeous flower seeds, a bulb collection, or plant/s delivered direct, and ready to sow or plant the month you receive.