Prune and tidy
Now is the ideal time to prune flowers like lavender, rambling roses, and wisteria to maintain a good shape, remove old stems and encourage healthy growth next year. Leaves are falling down and can make the garden look untidy, so collect any fallen plant debris and have a bit of a sweep to keep the area looking inviting and ready for you to enjoy with guests or on your own at a moment’s notice. Likewise, deadheading flowers not only keeps baskets and beds looking fresh but, when teamed with regular feeding, can also extend the life of summer-flowering bedding in some cases right up the first frosts.
Inject some more colour
Just because summer ended, it doesn’t mean you need to spend months staring at drab empty beds and containers. Far from it! There are plenty of bright autumnal blooms that will instantly perk up your garden, terrace or balcony. Fill planters, window boxes or beds and borders with the likes of winter pansies, violas, chrysanthemums, primroses, Sweet William and Christmas roses (Helleborus) for an immediate injection of colour. Alternatively, plant autumn and winter-flowering bulbs now for a stunning display in colder months. Species like Sternbergia – also known as the autumn/winter daffodil – can go in the ground in September, ready to bloom through October and November. Other options are autumn crocuses or cyclamen bulbs.
Give wildlife a helping hand
Give furniture some TLC
If your furniture is from LifestyleGarden, this job will be nice and quick. The beauty of the innovative material, Olefin®, that we use for cushions in our collections is that it is extremely durable, has excellent colour fastness and is resistant to abrasions, stains, sunlight, fire and chemicals, making it extremely low maintenance. This means cushions will stay looking good as new, whatever the British weather, or your guests, throw at them! Soap, water and a wet cloth is all you need to remove any soiling and keep fabric looking pristine.
To make life even easier, why not give outdoor fabric a quick spray with our invisible Textile Protector, which repels dirt and water, enables moisture to evaporate more easily, and inhibits the growth of mould and mildew.
It’s not time to give up entertaining in the garden just yet but it’s definitely a good idea to give the space a spruce after a busy summer.
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