Brrr…October is here! The nights are drawing in, the trees are showing their Autumn colour and there is a distinct chill in the air. Our gardens are starting to wind down and our minds begin to turn to next year. Time to dig out those jumpers and thermos as there is plenty to do this month to help prepare our gardens for the Winter months ahead.

In the flower garden… continue planting out spring bulbs through your beds, borders, containers and even lawns whilst the ground is still warm. Dor's has a wonderful selection available in store now along with RHS bulb planters. Whilst digging around, now is a good time to lift Dahlia and Begonia tubers for storage over the winter as well as divide any overgrown perennial clumps. It’s a great way of creating new plants for free.

In the kitchen garden… shallots, onion sets and garlic can be planted out now to give you a bumper crop next season. Winter hardy herbs such as Rosemary, English Lavender, Sage and Thyme can be planted outside in a sheltered south facing spot either in your beds or containers.

In the plant house… as we come into Autumn, begin to reduce the frequency you water and feed houseplants and greenhouse plants. Consider forcing bulbs for Christmas; it's a fabulous way to decorate and bring joy into the home. Hyacinths and Daffodils are winter favourites as well as Amaryllis and can be purchased in store at Dor's Garden now. Look out for bulb packets which are sold as “prepared” as these bulbs will have been specially treated to ensure they flower early.

In the garden shed… be brave and turn over those compost heaps and/or clear out those water butts...we guarantee you will be stripping off those winter jumpers and enjoying that autumn sun before you know it! Get organised and ahead of next season by giving those garden sheds a good old sweep out and tidy on a lovely autumnal sunny day. Perhaps pop up a Garden Wall Planner to help you prepare for next year.

For the wildlife… top up those bird feeders, tables and bird baths to encourage our feathered friends into your gardens. They’ll go a long way to helping keep pests down such as aphids, moths and hungry caterpillars. Hedgehogs will be seeking out warm and cosy places to hibernate so please check bonfire piles, before lighting them, for these little endangered guys.

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