October marks a turning point in the gardening calendar. The air is crisp, the leaves are falling, and while many plants are beginning to die back for the winter, this is by no means the end of gardening season. In fact, October is a month of the 3 P’s: preparation, protection and planting!

1. Tidy Up Fallen Leaves

Why it matters…One of the most visible signs of autumn is the falling of leaves. There are pros and cons of fallen leaves. Fallen leaves do benefit gardens by creating habitats for creatures like beetles, centipedes, frogs, toads, slow worms and hedgehogs. Many of those creatures eat slugs and snails so they benefit your garden. In addition, fallen leaves create a natural mulch around plants and will break down to add organic matter to your soil. However, leaves can cause issues in gardens too. Fallen leaves make garden paths slippery and when left on your lawn fallen leaves can cause lawn rot and issues (especially when left in a thick layer). So our advice is to remove leaves from paths and lawns only and if you don’t want to put them on your garden borders, add some to your composter and/or collect some in a wire bin to make leaf mould which is an excellent soil conditioner for the spring.

Practical Tips:

– To do the job you will need a rake, stiff brush and compost bin. We also sell ‘big hands’ which enable you to pick up a big pile of leaves with your hands.

2. Clean and Store Garden Furniture

Why it matters… Before the weather turns wet and frosty, clean and cover or clean and store away your garden furniture. All garden furniture will weather if left outside with no protection and so covering or storing them helps keep the look of your furniture and preserve its useable life

Practical Tips:

– Use a stiff brush and soapy water to clean wood.
– Wooden furniture may benefit from a coat of protective oil or sealant.
– If you use a cover make sure it is weighted or tied securely at the base.

3. Check Fencing and Structures

Why it matters… Winds pick up in autumn, so check all garden structures (fences, trellises & arches) for stability.

Tips:

– Tighten loose screws and hammer down any protruding nails.
– Treat wooden structures with wood preservative if needed.

Recommendations:

– Seed trays with clear lids help you germinate seeds indoors.
– Fine seed compost is ideal for delicate seeds.

4. Final Lawn Mow of the Season

Why it matters…If your grass is still growing, give it a final cut this month, but raise the cutting height to avoid scalping the lawn.

Tips:

– Don’t mow if the ground is very wet or frozen.
– Leave some grass longer in corners for overwintering insects to shelter.
– Removing thatch and moss from your lawn will allow air and nutrients to reach the roots of your grass.
– Use a lawn scarifier or a spring-tine lawn rake to remove the thatch and moss.
– Aerate with a garden fork by pushing it 10–15 cm deep and wiggling slightly. Repeat as many times as possible about your lawn.

Top Buy:

– Miracle-Gro Autumn Lawn Care – Fortifies your lawn for the colder months ahead. See what lawn care products we have in store.

5. Cut Back Perennials (Selectively)

Why it matters…Many herbaceous perennials can be cut back to tidy up, but some should be left for winter interest or wildlife. Keep any flowers that have seed heads (like Echinacea or rudbeckia). Perennials that have formed overgrown clumps can be divided. That will include hostas & crocosmias. Divide them by using a couple of forks back to back to split the clump OR dig the whole clump up and then use a spade to divide the clump into smaller plants you can replant. Use fresh compost and water in well.

Tips:

– Apply a layer of mulch to help insulate the soil and protect your plant roots. The best materials to use are either a well-rotted manure or bark chippings, all available from our garden centre

6. Harvest Remaining Crops

Why it matters…Clear the last of your summer crops like courgettes, tomatoes and beans before the first frosts. You can use up any green tomatoes in a delicious green tomato chutneys or they may ripen if left indoors. Once your harvests are lifted, you may want to sow a green manure autumn mix. Green manure helps prevent your soil from eroding away during winter and from loosing nutrients. You simply sow and then turn the plants into the soil in spring. It’s a very affordable way of enriching your soil.

Practical Tips:

– October is ideal for planting overwintering varieties of onions, garlic and shallots. We have plenty of varieties in stock near our bulbs in the lower shop.

7. Plant Spring-Flowering Bulbs

Why it matters…Daffodils, crocuses, hyacinths and tulips all go in the ground now for glorious spring colour.

Practical Tips:

– Plant daffodils and crocuses early in the month.
– Wait until late October or early November for tulips (reduces risk of tulip fire fungus).
– Plant bulbs two to three times their depth.
– Ensure good drainage to prevent rot, we recommend using bulb fibre compost.

8. Add Winter Bedding Plants

Why it matters… Fill gaps in borders or containers with cheerful cool season blooms.

Plants to try:

– Pansies and violas
– Cyclamen

9. Move Tender Plants Inside

Why it matters…If you haven’t done this already, we recommend bringing in your citrus, chillies, or any frost-sensitive container plant.

Tips:

– Check them for pests like aphids and red spider mites before moving indoors
– Slow down on watering during the winter months.

10. Install Bird Feeders

Install Bird Feeders…Natural food becomes scarce in winter and so it is the time to start helping garden wildlife. Wild birds will love high energy foods like suet, sunflower hearts or peanuts. If you have squirrels you may want to look at our range of squirrel proof feeders. Don’t forget to provide shelter for your birds too. We have a lovely range of bird nest boxes which birds use a roosts over the winter.

Make a Leaf Pile for Hedgehogs…Natural food becomes scarce in winter and so it is the time to start helping garden wildlife. Wild birds will love high energy foods like suet, sunflower hearts or peanuts. If you have squirrels you may want to look at our range of squirrel proof feeders. Don’t forget to provide shelter for your birds too. We have a lovely range of bird nest boxes which birds use a roosts over the winter.

Check for Vine Weevils and Slugs…These pests often shelter around pots and in borders and their grubs will eat your plant roots and kill off plants if left to do their thing! Inspect containers regularly and use nematodes or traps if necessary.

October may bring cooler days and shorter evenings, but there’s still plenty to enjoy in the garden. A bit of planting, tidying and protection now will pay off when spring arrives, so wrap up warm, head outside, and make the most of this beautiful time of year.

Happy gardening!

September is a transitional month in the garden. The blazing colours of summer mellow into the rich, warm tones of autumn. The days are still mild enough to enjoy being outdoors and while blooms may be fading, there’s still plenty of beauty, productivity, and purpose to be found. From harvesting the last of your summer crops to planting spring bulbs and preparing the garden for colder months, September is a month for both reflection and action.

In this guide, we’ll explore practical tips to keep your garden thriving in September, recommend useful tools and accessories, and highlight things to buy that will help you enjoy – and prepare –  your garden for late summer, early autumn and beyond.

1. Begin Your Autumn Clean-Up

Why it matters…Tidying up your garden now helps prevent pests and diseases from overwintering and makes spring preparation much easier.

Practical Tips:

– Remove dead annuals and compost them if they are disease-free.
–  Cut back finished (spent) perennials, however you can leave attractive seed heads (like echinacea and rudbeckia) for structure and as a food for wildlife.
– Weed thoroughly while the soil is still warm from summer—this reduces spring regrowth.

Recommendations:

– Use a sharp pair of secateurs and a garden waste bag or trug to gather clippings easily
– Invest in a lightweight garden rake to remove fallen leaves and debris from beds.

Top Buy:

– A good set of Secateurs – ideal for deadheading and pruning.

2. Plant Spring-Flowering Bulbs

Why it matters…September is the ideal time to plant spring bulbs such as daffodils, crocuses, hyacinths and alliums. A little work now yields stunning colour displays come March and April.

Practical Tips:

– The general rule of thumb is to plant bulbs at a depth of 2–3 times the bulb height, and in groups for a natural look.
– Ensure good drainage to prevent bulbs from rotting.

Recommendations:

– Use a bulb planter to make holes quickly and evenly.
– Use a bulb fibre as a compost for planting bulbs in.
– Label your bulb spots to avoid disturbing them later as you will forget!

3. Sow Hardy Annuals for Early Colour

Why it matters… Hardy annuals sown now will overwinter and flower earlier and stronger in spring.

What to Sow:

– Cornflower, calendula, poppy, nigella, and larkspur.
– Sow directly into well-prepared soil or in seed trays under cover.

Recommendations:

– Seed trays with clear lids help you germinate seeds indoors.
– Fine seed compost is ideal for delicate seeds.

4. Lawn Care & Repair

Why it matters…September is perfect for lawn maintenance—cooler weather and autumn rains help new grass establish quickly.

What to Sow:

– Scarify your lawn to remove thatch and moss.
– Aerate the lawn with a fork or aerator tool to improve drainage.
– Apply autumn lawn feed to strengthen roots over winter.

Recommendations:

– Reseed patchy areas with a mix suitable for your lawn (shady, tough grass for play, or fine luxury grassl).
– Topdress with compost to improve soil quality and seed germination.

Top Buy:

– Miracle-Gro Autumn Lawn Care – Fortifies your lawn for the colder months ahead. See what lawn care products we have in store.

5. Continue Harvesting Late Crops

Why it matters… September can still be generous with fruit and veg, from apples and pears to runner beans, beetroot, courgettes, and squashes.

Practical Tips:

– Pick produce promptly to avoid waste and encourage further growth.~
– Store apples and pears in a cool, dark, well-ventilated place
– Start clearing crops that are finishing to make way for green manure or overwintering plants.

Recommendations:

– Use a proper harvesting basket to carry and store fruit gently.
– Invest in a fruit picker to reach apples or pears without climbing.

Top Buy:

– Wolf Telescopic Fruit Picker – Perfect for getting high fruit without damage.

6. Plant Perennials and Shrubs

Why it matters… Soil is still warm, and rainfall is more frequent—ideal for establishing roots before winter.

Practical Tips:

– Add compost or well-rotted manure to planting holes to improve fertility.
– Water well after planting, and mulch to retain moisture.
– Avoid overfeeding, which may encourage soft growth vulnerable to frost.

Recommendations:

– Divide overcrowded perennials and replant them to fill gaps elsewhere
– Choose plants for autumn colour like sedum, Japanese anemones or asters.

Top Buy:

– Rootgrow Mycorrhizal Fungi – Great for helping new plants establish stronger root systems.

7. Support Wildlife Through the Seasons

Why it matters…As natural food sources dwindle, your garden can become a vital haven for birds, insects, and mammals.

Practical Tips:

– Leave some seed heads, berries, and leaf piles for wildlife.
– Clean bird feeders and baths thoroughly to prevent disease spreading
– Start feeding birds with high-energy foods like suet and sunflower hearts.

Recommendations:

– Add a bug hotel or log pile for overwintering insects. You can make your own or we sell ready made ones.
– Install a hedgehog house ready for when hedgehogs start to hibernate, we have them in store.

8. Start a Composting Routine

Why it matters… September’s garden waste is the perfect base for rich, homemade compost.

Practical Tips:

– Mix green material (grass clippings, soft plant matter) with browns (twigs, cardboard, dry leaves).
– Turn the heap every few weeks to encourage decomposition.
– Keep it covered to retain heat and moisture.

Final Thoughts

September is one of the most rewarding months in the gardening year. There’s a satisfying blend of activity and reflection – harvesting the fruits of summer’s labour while setting the stage for next spring. With the right tools, thoughtful planting you can continue to enjoy your garden through the shifting seasons.

Whether you’re raking leaves in the morning sun or planting bulbs as the evening light fades, your efforts now will echo into the months ahead – bringing beauty, wildlife, and joy long after the last bloom of summer fades.

Happy gardening!

August is a vibrant and rewarding month in the English garden calendar. As summer reaches its peak, borders brim with colour, vegetable patches are at their most generous, and warm evenings beckon us to spend more time outside. Yet, with heatwaves, holiday absences and the gradual shift toward autumn; August also demands smart maintenance and a touch of forward planning.

In this guide, we’ll explore practical tips to keep your garden thriving in August, recommend useful tools and accessories, and highlight things to buy that will help you enjoy – and prepare -your garden for late summer and beyond.

1. Keep Watering Efficiently

Why it matters… While English summers can be unpredictable, August often brings dry, hot spells that causes stress to plants.

Practical Tips:

– Water early morning or evening to reduce water loss through evaporation and to prevent leaf scorch.
– Prioritise watering pots, hanging baskets and vegetables, which dry out faster than plants in borders.
– Group pots together to create a humid microclimate and make watering more efficient.

Recommendations:

– Invest in a drip irrigation system: Ideal for holiday cover or for consistent, targeted watering. We sell the Gardena range of irrigation equipment.

Top Buy:

– Gardena Micro-Drip Irrigation Starter Set – Easy to set up and efficient for flowerbeds or veg patches.

2. Harvest and Preserve Your Bounty

Why it matters… August is peak harvest time, especially for tomatoes, courgettes, runner beans, carrots, apples, and berries.

Practical Tips:

– Pick fruit and veg regularly to encourage continued production.
– Freeze, pickle, or dry gluts to reduce waste and enjoy homegrown produce year-round.
– Check ripeness daily—especially in greenhouses where things ripen quickly.

Recommendations:

– Buy a good set of harvesting tools, like lightweight snips and a garden trug.
– Stock up on preserving supplies – jars, freezer bags, vinegar, spices, etc.

3. Deadhead for Continual Colour

Why it matters… Many perennials and bedding plants will flower into September if you regularly deadhead them.

Practical Tips:

– Remove faded blooms from dahlias, roses, cosmos, petunias, and salvias.
– Cut back leggy bedding plants to encourage bushier regrowth.
– Lightly feed containers after deadheading to encourage another flush of flowers.

Recommendations:

– Invest in sharp garden snips for ease and precision when cutting small shoots.
– Use a liquid plant feed every 1–2 weeks for flowering pots and baskets.

Top Buy:

– Miracle-Gro All Purpose Liquid Plant Food – Fast-acting, ideal for tired summer pots.

4. Sow Now for Autumn and Winter Crops

Why it matters… August is your last chance to sow quick-growing and cool-loving crops for autumn and early winter.

What to Sow:

– Salad leaves, rocket, spinach, radish, pak choi, chard
– Spring cabbages and overwintering onions

5. Care for Your Lawn

Why it matters… After a summer of use, lawns can look tired, parched or patchy.

Practical Tips:

– Keep blades high when mowing to avoid scalping dry grass.
– Rake out thatch and aerate compacted areas to help water reach the roots.

6. Tidy and Prepare for Autumn

Why it matters… While August is still summer, preparing for the change in season helps maintain garden health and appearance.

Practical Tips:

– Cut back faded perennials and remove tired annuals.
– Clear algae or debris from ponds and water features.
– Start planning bulb planting for autumn—spring flowering daffodils and alliums can go in the ground from September.

Recommendations:

– Compost bin to make use of summer trimmings and to generate a rich mulch.
– Garden waste bags for transporting large amounts of cuttings to your local recycling centre

Top Buy:

– A  Compost bin – contain your garden waste and turn it into a valuable asset for your garden next year.

7. Support Wildlife

Why it matters… As food sources start to dwindle later in summer, wildlife benefits from a helping hand.

Practical Tips:

– Leave some seed heads on plants (like sunflowers and teasels) for birds to feed from.
– Top up bird feeders and provide clean water daily.
– Plant late-season nectar plants like sedum, rudbeckia and echinacea for bees and butterflies.

Recommendations:

– Invest in a bird bath and bird feeders to attract and support garden visitors.
– Wildlife-friendly planting schemes for year-round habitat.

8. Enhance Outdoor Living Spaces

Why it matters… August evenings are perfect for alfresco dining, entertaining, or simply relaxing in the garden.

Practical Tips:

– Add outdoor lighting for ambience and extended use of your garden.
– Create a shaded area using a sail, parassol or pergola.

Recommendations:

– Use citronella candles or natural repellents to keep midges and mosquitoes at bay. We have a good range in store.

9. Plan for Next Year

Why it matters… August is a great time to evaluate what worked—and what didn’t—so you can plan improvements for next year.

Practical Tips:

– Take photos of your garden now to help with planning your spring flowering bulb placement.
– Make notes on plant performance, gaps in borders, and colour combinations.

Recommendations:

– Invest in a garden journal or app to track ideas and planting times.

Top Buy:

– From later this month we will start to have our autumn bulb in. These bulbs need planting in the autumn and flower in the spring. It will include daffodils, tulips, alliums and hyacinths to name just a few.

Final Thoughts

August in the English garden is a time of both celebration and preparation. With flowers blooming, fruit ripening, and wildlife bustling, it’s one of the most enjoyable months to be outdoors. But, it’s also the bridge to autumn—a time to tidy, sow, plan and make the most of every golden hour.

By applying these practical tips, choosing the right tools and embracing the rhythm of the season, you can ensure your garden remains productive, beautiful, and a source of joy well into the months ahead.

Happy gardening!

Back in June, we hosted our Gardena Holiday Watering Event, where visitors learned all about keeping their gardens happy and hydrated during the summer months, even while away on holiday. Throughout the day, customers enjoyed expert talks and one-to-one advice from Calum White of Gardena, with plenty of live demonstrations and smart watering tips using the Gardena Micro-Drip System.

As part of the event, we also ran an exclusive prize draw. Everyone who purchased irrigation equipment on the day was automatically entered for a chance to win a Gardena Hose Reel and Hose, worth £150.

We’re delighted to announce that we now have a winner!

Today, our lucky prize draw winner visited St Bridget to collect his prize, and we’re happy to report he was very pleased with his new Gardena hose reel setup. It’s a fantastic addition to any garden, especially in warmer months when regular watering is a must.

A big thank you to our friends at Gardena for supporting the event and sponsoring this brilliant giveaway.

If you missed the event, don’t worry, we have a wide range of Gardena irrigation products in stock, and our team is always happy to offer advice to help you find the best solution for your garden.

Stay in touch for more events, offers and expert tips and don’t forget to follow us on social media for all the latest news from St Bridget Nurseries!

Join us on Tuesday 24th June for a free compost talk at St Bridget –  at 11am and 2pm

What’s It All About?

We’re delighted to host a free talk about peat-free compost and how to get the best results when using it in your garden. This informative session will explain why the horticultural industry is moving away from peat, the environmental reasons behind the shift, and how government targets are shaping this transition.

You’ll also learn what makes a good peat-free compost and how to use it effectively to support healthy plant growth.

Meet the Speaker: Neil Gray

The talk will be delivered by Neil Gray from Melcourt Industries, one of the UK’s leading suppliers of peat-free compost. Neil began his horticultural career at age 16, working at Peters Gardens in Cobham, before studying for a National Diploma in Hardy Ornamental Nursery Stock at Merrist Agricultural College.

He went on to become Production Manager at one of Sussex’s largest commercial nurseries, overseeing the production of over 2 million 9cm shrubs and 100,000 containerised trees for the garden centre market.

For the past 24 years, Neil has worked in the growing media industry. He first worked with a part Finnish-owned company supplying peat compost to UK growers, before joining Melcourt over 14 years ago. Today, he is the UK Sales Manager for Melcourt’s professional compost range and other horticultural products.

About Melcourt Industries

Melcourt Industries Ltd was founded 40 years ago, initially supplying bark mulch to local authorities and landscapers. In 2000, the company began selling commercial peat-free compost to professional growers. Building on that success, Melcourt launched its SylvaGrow multipurpose compost in 2013, developed from its professional product line.

Today, the SylvaGrow range continues to expand. All of Melcourt’s retail products are RHS endorsed, and the company proudly holds a Royal Warrant.