It seems that every day is a national day of something or other. One of the most recent days being October 12^th, which we were reliably informed was Farmers Day. At eSpares we thought that it’d be a good idea to build on the Farmers Day theme to provide some helpful gardening tips and tricks.

These tips have been designed to help you whether you’re a novice in the garden or you fancy yourself as an Alan Titchmarsh. We believe that every day is a school day and we’re sure that there will be one or two tips which you may not be aware of.

October:

Gardening in October can often be a difficult task, as the Great British weather often has a mind of its own. One minute it’ll be pouring with rain and strong winds, the next clear blue skies and the sun shining strong – so what gardening tasks should you be carrying out?

If we take the “traditional” October weather as an example, the tasks that you should be carrying out within your garden over the next four weeks include:

• Preparing the soil, by mixing in compost and manure. This will help your plants grow come spring and summer. I’d recommend starting the preparation of your soil as early as possible this month, especially if your soil is heavy.
• Plant container grown shrubs, trees, bulbs and fruit bushes. Having been pre-grown in a container during the summer months, the shrubs, trees, etc should be sturdy enough to be able to handle life in the ground throughout autumn and winter.
• Cut back your perennials which have died down, encouraging stronger growth over the coming year. It’s also advisable to move the tender plants within your garden into the greenhouse before the first frost of the year arrives.

• Rake leaves. Fallen leaves can cause damage in your garden; so it’s a good idea to either rake them into a pile before removing them, or to remove them with a garden vacuum.

Another task which you can consider carrying out in your garden during October, depending on the weather, is spreading new grass seed. It’s easy to repair those bald patches which may have occurred as a result of a) too much close cutting, b) wear and tear or c) animals.

November:

As November arrives, so does the almost constant rain which may make gardening seem like an arduous and pointless task, but believe me it’s not.

For that reason, I recommend pulling on your wellies, zipping up your waterproof coat and pulling on a hat, before getting out into the garden and carrying out at least these four simple tasks:

1. Continue clearing up fallen leaves – if there’s only one gardening task which you carry out during November, then the clearing up of fallen leaves should be it.
2. Plant out winter bedding and insulate outdoor containers. With the ground soft, especially after heavy rain, planting out the winter bedding plants should be an easy task. Choose your plants carefully and they will bring some much needed colour to your garden during the winter months.

   Insulating your outdoor containers is a must to keep their contents safe come the frost, and bubble-wrap works a treat for insulation.

3. Plant spring bulbs. We all want our gardens to be bursting with colour as soon as the sun shines in the New Year, and November is the ideal time to plant for spring.
4. Put out bird food. As winter arrives, encourage more wildlife to come into your garden by putting out bird food.

If November is particularly wet or frosty, it’s also advisable to stay off your lawn as much as possible, so not to cause damage to it; after all you don’t want to be spending early spring laying new turf.

December:

December, a month for mince-pies, gifts and spending time with the family. It’s also the time of year where many believe that nothing needs doing in the garden, but this isn’t true.

Whilst the gardening on offer during December is minimal, the tasks which should be carried out include the continuous removal of any fallen leaves and the digging over of flower beds.

It’s also a good time, ahead of Christmas when you’ll be welcoming many guests, to give your pathways a good scrub down to remove any moss or wet leaves. It’s also likely that the winter weather will have taken its toll on your garden fencing, and December is the perfect time to put these faults right.

For moments when the weather takes a turn for the worse during December, take the time to go into your shed / garage and carry out any required maintenance on your garden appliances. Jobs can include draining any unused petrol from your petrol lawnmower, to replacing the spool and line on trimmers.

Each appliance which has been used in the garden throughout the year should be given a once over to make sure that it’s ready for use again come the New Year.

Carrying out the simple gardening tasks each month will enable you to make the most out of your garden all year round. If you need any spare parts, appliances or consumables to carry out the tasks, you’ll be able to find them at eSpares.

Tags: Fallen Leaves, Garden Vacuum, Gardening Tips