Gardening in October
Practical gardening advice for British gardens.
Find out what to plant, prune and fix this week. Every guide is written for UK soil, weather and growing seasons.
Start here
Your garden this weekend.
Three timely jobs, matched to the season and the latest UK forecast.
This month
What to do in October
Plant now
Watch out for
In bloom
Useful now
Seasonal picks.
Margery Fish: 7 Cottage-Garden Lessons
Use Margery Fish's cottage-garden ideas to plan a small UK plot with winding paths, layered planting, self-seeders and lighter upkeep.
Gertrude Jekyll: 7 Border Design Lessons
Use Gertrude Jekyll's colour, structure and seasonal planting ideas to plan a practical 2m x 4m UK border with seven clear lessons.
Longmeadow After Gardeners' World?
What is known about Longmeadow after Gardeners' World, plus a practical four-zone plan for simplifying a large, labour-intensive garden.
Greater Plantain in Lawns: Fix the Cause
Greater plantain survives mowing and favours worn turf. Identify it, remove the crown, and repair the compaction beneath your lawn.
Popular this week
Trending now.
The practical questions UK gardeners are reading about right now.
When to Plant Tulip Bulbs in the UK
When to Plant Garlic in the UK
How to Scarify and Aerate Your Lawn
How to Make Leaf Mould
How to Make a Hedgehog-Friendly Garden
Greenhouse Heating Guide UK
How to Protect Plants from Frost UK
How to Plant Bare-Root Trees in the UK
Explore the garden
Find the right guide faster.
Start with what you want to grow, improve or put right.
Growing vegetables
Sowing, feeding and harvesting advice for UK plots.
Growing fruit
Fruit trees, soft fruit and berries for British gardens.
Flowers and plants
Choose plants and keep them healthy through every season.
Lawn care
Practical fixes for feeding, mowing, weeds and bare patches.
Garden design
Plan practical, attractive gardens of every size.
Wildlife
Make more room for birds, pollinators and pond life.
Pest control
Identify the cause, then use the least disruptive treatment.
Seasonal calendar
Month-by-month planting and garden task guides.
Featured guide
How to Make Leaf Mould
Step-by-step guide to making leaf mould in the UK. Covers which leaves to use, bin building, the bin bag method, timings, and garden uses.
Read the featured guidePlanting calendar
Plan the gardening year.
Open any month for timely planting, pruning and maintenance advice.
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Testing soil amendments in Staffordshire Advice grounded here
Written from experience, not rewritten from elsewhere.
The Garden UK Editorial Team produces practical advice for British conditions, overseen by Editorial Director Matt W.
Garden UK guides explain what was tried, when it was done and what happened next. That means fewer vague tips and more useful detail for British gardens.
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Latest guides.
1444 guides and recipes, newest first.
Margery Fish: 7 Cottage-Garden Lessons
Use Margery Fish's cottage-garden ideas to plan a small UK plot with winding paths, layered planting, self-seeders and lighter upkeep.
Open page → Gertrude Jekyll: 7 Border Design Lessons
Use Gertrude Jekyll's colour, structure and seasonal planting ideas to plan a practical 2m x 4m UK border with seven clear lessons.
Open page → Longmeadow After Gardeners' World?
What is known about Longmeadow after Gardeners' World, plus a practical four-zone plan for simplifying a large, labour-intensive garden.
Open page → Greater Plantain in Lawns: Fix the Cause
Greater plantain survives mowing and favours worn turf. Identify it, remove the crown, and repair the compaction beneath your lawn.
Open page →
Hairy Bittercress: The Exploding Weed
Hairy bittercress fires seeds across nearby pots. Identify this fast weed, control it before pods explode, and use clean leaves as peppery cress.
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Ragwort: Identify and Remove It Safely
Ragwort is toxic to grazing animals but valuable for wildlife. Identify it, remove it safely before seed, and understand the law.
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Broad-Leaved Dock: Control and Uses
Broad-leaved dock has a deep tap root and seeds that last decades. How to dig it out properly, stop it seeding, and use it on nettle stings.
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Creeping Thistle: Identify and Control
Creeping thistle spreads by brittle roots and wind-blown seed. Identify it, control it by cutting before it seeds, and know the legal duty.
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Cuckoo Spit: What the White Froth Is
That white froth on your lavender is cuckoo spit, made by a harmless froghopper nymph. What it is, why it is nothing to fear, and when to note it.
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Harlequin Ladybird vs Native Ladybirds
The harlequin ladybird is an invasive species threatening our natives. Tell it from the 7-spot by its size, brown legs and the black M on the pronotum.
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Green Shield Bug: Friend or Foe?
That bright green shield bug on your beans is almost certainly a harmless native. How to tell it from the invasive southern green stink bug.
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Tulip Fire: Spot and Beat Botrytis
Tulip fire scorches, twists and spots tulips each spring. Spot the grey-mould primaries, rogue them out fast, and break the cycle with a three-year gap.
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American Gooseberry Mildew: Stop the Felt
American gooseberry mildew coats shoots and berries in white felt. Beat it with open pruning, less nitrogen and resistant varieties like Invicta.
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Potato Blight: Stop It Before It Spreads
Potato blight can strip an allotment in a week. Use blight alerts, the earlies-escape trick, haulm cutting and Sarpo varieties to save your crop.
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Bacterial Canker on Cherry and Plum Trees
Bacterial canker on cherry and plum trees: spot the amber gum and shot-hole, prune at the right time, and choose resistant Prunus for UK gardens.
Open page →Showing 15 of 1444