The cool, wet summer has provided plenty of growth potential to trees and shrubs and as a result they should provide some vivid colour to autumn leaves this year. As the start to the gardening year, it's time to plant spring bulbs and new permanent plantings such as perennial asters, phlox, gaillardia and erigeron. Don't forget to plant fruit trees, canes and bushes so they have time to establish before the winter.

THE ORNAMENTAL GARDEN

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Autumn flowering plants and shrubs with berries should be providing some late colour. Autumn crocus (Colchicum) will add a royal dash among falling leaves. Dahlias, gaillardia and Japanese anemones should flower through until the frosts and Helenium, sedum and asters (often called michaelmas daisies) will be giving a last display. Many of these autumn flowering plants are susceptible to powdery mildew attack, especially when the soil is dry, and should be sprayed at the first signs of the white deposit. If your garden is short of colour visit your local garden centre and pick out and buy some plants that catch your eye. Make sure you include some pansies in your selection to provide bright faces this autumn and again next spring.

After clearing flowering bedding plants or the top growth of herbaceous perennials tidy up the beds with Weedol MAX or the ready to use Weedol Gun! These contact weedkillers work quickly to control annual weeds and grasses.

Before new planting add a good dressing of farmyard manure to improve the structure of the soil and its water-holding capacity. Levington have added this organic soil conditioner to its range of growing media, so even if your garden is miles from the nearest farm you can now obtain quality material from your local garden centre. Levington Farmyard Manure is one of the best around as it does several jobs at once - it improves soil structure, increases microbial activity and invigorates plants with nutrients and trace elements.

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Continue to plant out bulbs for a colourful spring display. Complete plantings of daffodils and the smaller bulbs that add such variety to the display. For extra interest and a good early splash of bright yellow colour try some winter aconites in a shady spot that needs brightening. Other small bulbs that deserve space include Iris reticulata which are available in blue, white and maroon colours on short stems. The yellow species of Iris called danfordiae is not long lived and often needs replacing each year, but nonetheless is well worth the space. Ordinary varieties of Glory of the Snow (Chionodoxa) carry several pale blue flowers on short stems. For something different look out for the new variety called 'Pink Giant' that has pastel lilac pink flowers.

Timely Tip

Dig up dahlia tubers and wash off soil from between the swollen roots with a hose. Allow to dry thoroughly and trim back the stems to about 5cm (2") in length. Wrap each swollen root in layers of newspaper and store in boxes of dry compost in a frost-free place such as a greenhouse, shed or conservatory

THE PATIO GARDEN

Summer hanging baskets, window boxes and patio planters will have finished flowering and all plants should be knocked out and either thrown onto the compost heap or stored in a frost free place for next year's display. Use the containers for autumn and winter displays.

Complete planting of spring bulbs in patio pots and window boxes. Plant several different bulb types in layers throughout the pot. Place the biggest bulb at the bottom of the pot and finish off with the smallest nearest to the surface. Use fresh Miracle-Gro Bulb Booster Compost to avoid carry over of pest problems from summer flowers. For more permanent plantings try evergreen shrubs in patio containers such as euonymus, hebe, dwarf conifers, variegated sage, ivies and small leaved thyme. In most winters Cineraria 'Silverdust' will survive to add a cut-leaved contrast of dusty white leaves.

Most of us grow lilies in pots so that they can be moved into a more prominent position whenever their majestic blooms are on display. After three or four years it pays to replant the bulbs in fresh compost to give the plants extra vigour. While you are about it you can take the opportunity to propagate new plants by taking some scales from the outside of the bulb and growing them on. Carefully snap a few scales from the outside of the parent bulb ensuring a small piece of the base plate comes with it. Dip the base plant into a hormone rooting powder and place upright into a tray filled with a 50:50 mixture of Multi-Purpose Compost and Perlite. Cover with a plastic bag and keep in a warm place until the scales start rooting.

Prepare your patio pots for winter by lifting them off the surface of the slabs with ceramic feet. These will encourage better drainage and help to prevent hard frosts from being transferred from frozen patio to the pots. If you are growing semi-tender plants wrap the bracken or straw around the pots and cover with bubble wrap. Torbay Palms (Cordyline) are susceptible to winter rain damage and to prevent too much rain lodging at the base of the spiky leaves tie the leaves together at several places and then cover in several layers of fleece.

Timely Tip

To clean lichen, algae and other disfiguring mould growths from the slab surfaces of your patio treat with Patio Magic! Just one application will kill off the microscopic growths which will gradually be washed off the surface to leave it clean and tidy for the next few months.

THE LAWN

Lawns received more than their fair share of rain this summer and as a result have developed plenty of weeds and more than a little moss. To encourage better drainage it's worth aerating the lawn in autumn to help minimise the causes of moss growth. Lazy gardeners will do this with a garden fork forced into the surface every 15cm (6") to provide regular air passages to help dry out the surface and improve root growth.

It's too late to do anything about the weed population, but you can minimise the effect of mosses by the use of a special autumn lawn treatment that will feed and control the moss in one simple application. Select EverGreen "I want complete Autumn Care" and apply to the whole lawn evenly. For the average sized lawn, just walk up and down with the hand held spreader that treats up to 100square metres. If you are treating a larger lawn, then the EasyGreen rotary spreader is very convenient and is adjustable so that it can apply all kinds of lawn treatments.

Check the edges of the lawn and repair any broken lines. Cut out a square of turf that includes the broken edge. Turn this round and place into position so that the bare area is on the inside and the new straight edge is on the outside. Fill the patch with new soil and repair using the EverGreen Lawn Repair Kit.

Next job is to collect each week any fallen leaves that fall on the lawn. If they are left they can encourage bare patches and the spread of disease. Rake up or blow the leaves into heaps ready for composting. To help them break down more quickly, shred the leaves into smaller pieces and place into big plastic bags adding a sprinkling of a special compost activator after every 20cm layer. Miracle-Gro Organic Choice Compost Maker is rich in nitrogen to balance the carbon of the leaves and also encourages plenty of microbial action to get the composting process off to a flying start.

Timely Tip

October is a great month to sow Evergreen grass seed to make a new lawn. See that the soil is weed free, firm and flat before you start.

THE VEGETABLE AND FRUIT GARDEN

Pick apples and pears as soon as they are ripe and store undamaged fruit for eating throughout the winter. You can only successfully store fruit that is in perfect condition - anything that has blemishes or bruising will not last long.

The secret of good storage is to provide the right conditions and only use a late maturing variety such as Bramley's Seedling, Cox's Orange Pippin, Egremont Russet or Spartan. A cool dark, airy shed will provide the right atmosphere and a series of trays stacked one on top of the other will give plenty of space. Wrap each perfect apple in oiled paper or the glossy paper from a magazine and inspect them regularly so that you can throw away any rotting ones immediately.

Pull up and clean any bean poles, pea sticks and other supports before storing away for next year. At the same time get rid of all weeds and debris.

Collect up any fallen leaves around the vegetable garden to eliminate as many hiding places for slugs and snails as possible. Scatter SlugClear Advanced Pellets around cabbage and other crops to ensure the ground is clear.

Hardy broad beans including The Sutton and Aquadulce can be sown now in rich soil in a sunny spot. Have some fleece or a cloche handy to protect the small plants when heavy frosts are expected.

Timely Tip

Control peach leaf curl by spraying with Murphy Traditional Copper Fungicide as the leaves fall off. This will help to prevent re-infection next year, although if the disease was widespread then another spray early in the year is recommended.

INDOOR GARDENING

Plant up bulbs now for flowering at Christmas and the New Year. Hyacinths that have been specially prepared for Christmas display can be placed into the top of a bulb vase or planted into bowls of Miracle-Gro Bulb Booster Compost. For best results keep the hyacinths in a cool dark place for at least six weeks while the roots develop and the flower bud emerges from the top of the bulb. When the shoots are about 5 cm (2 in) in height move the bowl into a cool shady spot indoors while the leaves develop. As the bulbs grow, gradually move them to good light, twisting them occasionally so the leaves are not drawn to unnatural length and the flower head is not bent over.

Hippeastrum bulbs that have been specially prepared for Christmas flowering should be potted up straight away. Use a mixture designed specially for houseplant culture such as Levington Houseplant Compost which has good drainage and a good reserve of nutrients. Leave the top of the bulb showing and keep in a warm sunny spot, watering the compost lightly until new growth appears.

Now that the central heating in most homes is bringing temperatures up your houseplants may need watering a little more often. Don't try to water to a strict regime, otherwise you may have plants that are permanently under water. Use the finger-tip test before adding any water at all. If the surface of the compost is moist then leave the plant alone. Remember to add a liquid plant food such as Miracle-Gro Pour & Feed once a month during the winter. That should be just enough to keep the leaves green, but not too much to force growth while it is supposed to be resting. To keep them all in a moist atmosphere group the plants together to increase humidity and mist them over with plain water with a hand sprayer occasionally.

To keep the smooth leaves of evergreen plants such as rubber plant, monster plant, sweetheart plant and umberella plant in glossy condition, spray them occasionally with Miracle-Gro Leaf Shine. There's no need to dust first or wipe the leaves to a shine.

Timely Tip

Greenfly and whitefly can quickly breed to become a problem on many different houseplants. You can now kill them off without spraying thanks to the solid spikes of combined plant food and systemic insecticide found under the name BugClear Ultra for Pots. Just push one or two below the surface of the compost and water normally.

GARDENING INFORMATION FROM The Scotts Company (UK) Limited

WRITTEN BY JOHN CLOWES

ALWAYS READ THE LABEL. USE PESTICIDES SAFELY
EverGreen® Mosskil and Scotts® Lawn Builder plus Moss Control contain ferrous sulphate. FungusClear Ultra contains triticonazole. Pathclear® Season Long and Pathclear® Gun! Season Long contains glyphosate, oxadiazon and diflufenican. Roundup GC contains glyphosate. Roseclear 3 contains bifenthrin and myclobutanil. SlugClear™ Advanced Pellets contains metaldehyde. Weedol® MAX contains pelargonic acid. Weedol® Gun! contains diquat. Products marked ®, ™ and Miracle-Gro, Plus, Levington and Osmocote are Trade Marks of The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company LLC or its subsidiaries.