Planting in the Autumn:
What to plant and sow in the UK
Spring gets most of the attention when it comes to planting. But as summer comes to an end, there are still plenty of things that can be planted, sown and gathered from the garden.
Some bulbs need to go into the ground now for spring, certain seeds can be sown before winter, and autumn is a good time to think about what we want to save from the season we’ve just had.
It’s a point in the year that sits somewhere between gathering and preparing: collecting seeds, making use of fallen leaves, leaving some things standing and putting a few things in place for the seasons ahead.
Why can Autumn be a good time for the garden?
For many plants, autumn provides exactly the conditions they need to establish.
After summer, the soil can remain relatively warm even as the air temperature begins to fall. Roots are able to continue growing without the plant having to put the same energy into flowers and new foliage. Increased rainfall can make establishing new plants easier too, although newly planted trees, shrubs and perennials should still be watered during dry spells.
For seeds and bulbs, winter itself can also be part of the growing process. Cold isn’t simply something that plants have to endure. Some plants actively need or benefit from a period of cold.
Certain seeds use prolonged cold, damp conditions — a process known as cold stratification — as a signal that winter has passed and it is safe to germinate. Garlic benefits from cold temperatures to help the bulb divide into individual cloves, while many spring-flowering bulbs need a period of low temperatures as part of the process that eventually leads to flowering.
What looks like dormancy above ground can actually be an important stage of growth.
What is actually worth planting in the Autumn?
You don’t need to embark on an enormous gardening project. Try one or two of these:
Plant bulbs for spring
Daffodils, crocuses, alliums and hyacinths can be planted during autumn, while tulips are generally planted a little later.
A pot by the back door is enough. Plant them now and there’s a good chance you’ll have almost forgotten about them by the time the first shoots appear.
Sow something for next year
Hardy annuals such as poppies, cornflowers, calendula and nigella can be autumn sown in suitable conditions.
Honesty (Lunaria annua) is another favourite. A biennial, it takes its time: sow it now and its flowers will eventually give way to the beautiful translucent seed pods sometimes known as silver pennies.
Plant something to eat
Garlic is an easy place to start. Individual cloves planted in autumn experience the winter cold before growing on for harvest the following summer.
Autumn onion and shallot sets and some hardy broad beans can also be planted at this time of year.
Think a little further ahead
Autumn can also be a good time to establish hardy perennials, shrubs and trees, with roots able to develop while there is still some warmth in the soil.
Later in the season, bare-root trees, fruit bushes, roses and hedging become available too.
Gather what is worth preserving
Of course, autumn isn’t only about planting. It’s also about gathering what the season has already given us.
Leave a few flowers to go to seed and collect them on a dry day for next year. Save seeds from the plants that did particularly well, the vegetables you enjoyed eating or simply the flowers you’d like to see again.
Fallen leaves don’t necessarily need to leave the garden either. They can be composted, used as mulch in suitable places or gathered to slowly break down into leaf mould. And resist the urge to tidy everything.
Seed heads can provide food for birds, while old stems and plant material create places for insects to shelter through the colder months. Sometimes preparing the garden for winter means deciding what to leave alone.
A different kind of growing
We tend to associate growth with things we can see: new shoots, flowers opening, fruit ripening. Autumn asks us to pay attention to something different.
A bulb disappears beneath the soil. A seed is gathered and put away. Roots establish where we can’t see them. Some things are preserved; others are allowed to finish.
It’s an idea we’ve been exploring in our Autumn Chapter this year: gather what is worth preserving.
Rather than trying to hold onto everything from summer, autumn gives us an opportunity to choose. What do we want to carry forward? What can we put in place for later? And what are we happy to let go?
Our Autumn Chapter follows that idea through the garden, kitchen and home, with things to grow, make, taste and use as the season changes.
And if all you do this autumn is plant one pot of bulbs or save a handful of seeds for next year, that’s plenty.
Not everything needs to grow all of the time.
