At this time of the year, the nights are drawing in and the weather is turning colder. It is time to start protecting your garden before winter arrives.
To protect any trees or shrubs you may have, it is a good idea to cut away any dead branches now. This task is made easier and quicker with a chainsaw. Use it to cut down larger branches and saw them into smaller pieces and add it to your compost or leafmould pile. A shredder will tackle large branches and shred them into much smaller pieces, which will speed up the time it takes for them to break down into compost.
Take some time to inspect any climbing plants in your garden, and make sure they are secured to a trellis or support if necessary. It is also important to check any trees too, in case a harsh winter storm causes branches, or the entire tree, to fall down. You can cut away any branches you are unsure about with a chainsaw.
Regularly collect any fallen leaves from lawns, paths and driveways. These can also be added to your compost mix.
Why is it important to collect fallen leaves from the lawn?
Leaving leaves to pile up in the garden could mean they become dangerously slippery when damp or icy, particularly on driveways and other hard surfaces. Piles of leaves may also harbour pests and diseases over winter, potentially spreading to your lawn or other plants next spring.
Finally, leaves which cover the lawn can also prevent vital sunshine and ventilation from reaching the grass, hindering what little growth there is left for this season, and damaging its health for next year.
In the meantime, enjoy the different colours on the trees while they last, this month will probably be the last month to appreciate them before they all fall off by December.
There are some trees and shrubs that produce wonderful autumnal colour displays, such as Acer palmatum which has deep red leaves.
Another is Rhus typhina which produces a stunning display of red, pink, yellow and green leaves.
Callicarpa bodinieri is a mid-sized shrub that produces delicate lilac flowers in summer and amazing purple berries in autumn!