Green Tips for Every Gardener

As we start to feel a pinch in the air and our paths are starting to fill with the first of the autumn leaves we thought it’d be a good time to catch up with our Head Gardener, Lee, to get his top tips for looking after your gardens this Autumn. There is a common misconception that we almost ‘put our garden to bed’ after the last cut of the lawn and a general garden tidy but actually this time of year is where the work starts so you can enjoy a beautiful paradise next year.

Rake up fallen leaves
A simple tip but effective for many reasons as rotting leaves can attract pests to lawns and borders creating unwanted problems. You can also pop leaves into your compost, remembering to regularly turn the compost and to also add other items such as grass clippings and kitchen scraps.

Lawn care
Reduce the frequency of lawn mowing around now, raise the height of cut to 30-40mm max. Repair worn areas of lawn and apply an autumn lawn feed to revive. Remembering that giving your lawn attention now in the autumn months will mean a lush lawn to enjoy next summer. Lee says “The best time to apply the granular feed is when rain is forecast and scatter the fertiliser evenly as possible.” And if the forecast is wrong then make sure you water it within a day or so of scattering the feed.

Planting Spring Bulbs
Planting your favourite bulbs informally instead of in blocks will look more impressive. Plant the bulb 2 – 3 times the depth of the bulb, remembering the bigger the bulb, the deeper the hole – this will also support the stems as they grow. Lee is currently preparing the Ragdale gardens to plant an impressive 7,500 spring bulbs which will include English Bluebells, Wild Garlic, Snowdrops, Alliums, Tulip and Daffodils including British native seed mixes too.

Other jobs to add to your list will be;

– Putting away garden furniture, including furniture cushions and store ready for next spring.
– Empty ceramic and glazed pots that aren’t frost proof and store in a shed for the colder months.
– Clean and disinfect your gardening tools to prevent spreading disease.

If you’ve visited Ragdale recently we are sure you’ll agree that Lee and the team do a superb job of tending to the gardens. They are committed to creating a tranquil space for guests whilst protecting our local wildlife and protected species of plants like our Bee Orchids. At Ragdale throughout the year you’ll see areas with wildflowers that have been purposely left to grow, this encourages a diverse habitat for various plants, insects, and other wildlife as well as attracting and providing essential food sources for pollinators such as bees and butterflies. This is crucial for pollination of crops and the health of our environment. So if you have areas with wildflowers in your own gardens, letting them grow freely may be something you want to consider ahead of next year to support biodiversity. It’s a wonderful initiative that our Gardening Team are proud to support.