GET PLANTING!

Autumn is a great time to prepare new borders; the ground is easy to work after recent rain but not yet saturated or frozen. These are amenable plants, coping with sun or part shade and soils from heavy to light as long as they have enough organic matter to hold onto moisture in drier months but don’t become waterlogged. Once the planting site is free from perennial weeds, cover it with plenty of well-rotted organic matter this autumn and leave the worms and the weather to start improving the soil for you, forking things over in six months’ time as the ground starts to warm.

1 Start the dahlia into growth

Buy dahlia tubers in late winter, pot them up in a frost-free greenhouse and you’ll have thriving plants to go out into the garden after the last frosts in May. Or, plant the tubers direct in May. Stake them with a strong cane and tie in with loops of soft twine as they grow. Deadhead regularly to keep the display going. Once the stems have been blackened by frost, dig up the tubers and store them in a shed in barely damp sand or old potting compost. In well-drained soil in sheltered parts you can risk leaving them in the ground covered with a protective blanket of mulch.

2 Plant the asters

Michaelmas daisies aren’t the first out of bed in the New Year and it pays to wait until late spring before planting. Add further compost or other well-rotted organic matter to each planting hole, water in well and mulch around plants when you’ve finished. While both these asters have fairly good resistance to mildew, try not to overcrowd them or pack them in too tightly. Taller asters need staking so be sure to get supports in early. Once they’ve finished flowering, cut back hard and renew the mulch annually to keep down weeds and help retain moisture. After a few years, lift and divide large clumps in April to spread the display and reinvigorate the planting.

3 Add a sweep of anemanthele

Wait until mid or late spring before planting this grass in a sweep through the planting. It’s not fussy about soil and can cope both with sun and shade but it’s still worth adding a little well-rotted organic matter at planting. It’s an evergreen so don’t cut plants back, instead comb through with your hands each spring. Divide established plants in late spring, using a saw to split clumps if needed. You may also find seedlings popping up around the garden because it tends to self-sow gently without being over-enthusiastic.

4 Dot in the geranium and sedum

Although these can go into the ground in autumn or spring, it makes sense to wait until spring. Add compost to each planting hole and mulch after planting (avoiding the crowns) and across the border annually. The geranium will flower for months but if it starts to look tired in summer, give it a trim and tidy after which it will reward you with another flush. ‘Rozanne’ is sterile so it won’t self-seed, but if you want to increase your stock, divide it in spring. Leave the sedum flowers over winter – they look beautiful dusted in frost. Cut them back before too much new growth comes through in early spring. If you’re on rich soil and they tend to flop, use plant supports or tip back shoots in early June. ✿