For many gardeners, whether professional or amateur, autumn is a time to tidy up the garden, clear out pots and containers and plant bulbs ready for spring but as this summer has been longer than usual and warm, many plants are still flowering. So, what are the best ways of prolonging the life of these blooms?
The first thing that you can do is to remember to dead head any flowers that are past their best. This will encourage the plant to produce new flowers and will keep the plant looking good until the arrival of frosts later in the autumn.
Even though the autumn months usually bring more wet weather it is still important to water the plants in the pots and planters in a garden especially during windy weather as this can really dry out the plants and cause the flowers to fade. Feel the dampness of the soil by pushing a finger into the soil about two centimetres down to check whether there is any moisture and if not give the plant a good watering.
Lastly, check that weeds are not growing next to the plants and taking all the nutrition out of the soil. It is not advisable to feed summer flowering plants at this time of the year but uprooting any weeds is a good idea.