What to do in the garden in October

The brilliant colours of autumn, caught by rays of mellow sunshine, are among the highlights of the gardening year. It’s also time to put the garden gently to bed, so there’s plenty to get on with this month!

General tasks:

Go on a slug and snail hunt looking for both pests and clumps of their pearly white eggs.

Clear autumn leaves from flower beds regularly, especially if they’re collecting in the crowns of plants.

Ornamental garden:

Continue planting spring bulbs in flower beds and borders, pots and containers to really pack the garden with early season colour.

Pick off leaves with signs of mildew, a common problem at this time of year on plants such as pulmonaria.

Thin out canes on bamboo to give the remaining canes more room and help them move gracefully in the slightest breeze.

Kitchen garden:

Pick the last of the unripe tomatoes as the plants have stopped growing now. You can always turn them into delicious chutney!

Sow a pot full of basil seed in a propagator or on a warm windowsill for a lush, fragrant windowsill herb.

Plant garlic so that the cloves can experience the long period of frost they need to swell into bulbs.