Garden works: I’ll start cutting back any sad and bedraggled herbaceous perennials now

FALLEN leaves and mossy lawns mean raking tops the bill this month and while it’s not usually a task that has people rushing into the garden, it does have its plus points.

Autumn leaves collected into a heap or in bin bags pierced with a fork will break down to give you luxuriant leaf mould, perfect for enriching your soil. Lifting the moss and dead grass from the lawn with a wire rake helps create a denser, greener sward by allowing the grass space to grow and spread. Raking is also supposed to be a great workout for the stomach muscles, although the benefits are probably cancelled out by the biscuits I usually find necessary afterwards.

You can also try picking up leaves from the lawn using the mower on its highest setting. This method shreds the leaves, which will help them break down quicker on the compost heap. Those with larger lawns might also find a scarifying machine helpful. These are great at combing out moss, but don’t usually collect it, so the rake will still get a bit of use. Use an autumn lawn feed after scarifying to get your grass well set for winter.

I’ll start cutting back any sad and bedraggled herbaceous perennials now, but like to leave as many clumps of leaves topped with spent flowers and seedheads as possible to provide interest and some shelter for wildlife during winter. Bush roses need cutting back by about a half, this month to prevent them rocking in high winds. Other spring-pruned shrubs, such as lavateras and buddleias, also benefit from the same treatment in exposed gardens.

The tail end of the year, when the soil is moist and still warm, is perfect for planting. Fill gaps in the vegetable patch with spring cabbages and winter lettuces and, if your soil has good drainage, plant fat garlic cloves about 10cm deep. Deciduous shrubs and trees, as well as perennials, planted now will all appreciate the chance to get their roots established before they have to burst into spring growth. This is a good time to move these plants into a new position in the garden too.

The arrival of really cold nights means it is definitely time to ditch the geraniums and petunias and plant up displays of spring bedding and bulbs. Spring bedding is true to its name and rarely produces much colour before the weather starts to warm, so try pepping up pots by including evergreens with bright berries and flowers, such as Gaultheria or Christmas roses (Helleborus niger).