Category: Gardening

For the majority of people who have a garden, autumn is the time when it can start to look untidy as summer plants become faded and past their best and shrubs need a good pruning. If the weather is still dry then it is a good idea to get the jobs done in the garden before the winter arrives when it is harder to motivate ourselves to move outdoors.

The first task is to remove any plants that have died or have become overgrown. It can be tempting to think that perhaps they will come back next year but apart from hardy geraniums the majority of bedding plants will not survive the winter and if they do they will take a long time to flower so be ruthless and clear the pots and beds of any plants that are past their best.

If you want to have some spring flowers now is the time to plant bulbs. Add some new compost to the pots or dig it into the flower beds then plant your selection of bulbs to give a welcome colourful display in spring.

Pruning back shrubs that are looking overgrown can also be a task for this time of the year but if done correctly will result in new healthy growth next spring.

Do you struggle with your garden? Are you one of those people that just hack back everything come the autumn as you are. It sure what should be left and what should be removed? If the answer is yes then it may be worth you investing in a gardening course. You don’t have to be an avid gardening to go on such a course as there are a number of different ones out there. Try and find a course that is aimed at beginners who are looking with help to maintain their gardens not ones that want to create a garden to enter in to the Chelsea flower show!

If you cannot find any courses local to you then why not ask around on social media or in your local area to see if there are any gardeners that may be able to give you a bit of training. They may come and show you what is what whilst also doing some of the upkeep for you. Gardeners do not normally charge a huge amount so a few hours a month is unlikely to break the bank but might just give you that little bit of confidence that you need.

If you enjoy a bit of gardening an like being outdoors then you may decide to take your hobby a bit further and start to do gardening as a job. If you can combine your hobby and your job then you are on to a winner as it is very important if you can find a job that you love to do. There are a number of different types of gardening jobs that you can apply for. If you are happy to go self employed then you may decide to set up your own gardening business. You can then start to advertise your business in local papers, on social media sites such as Facebook or Twitter or often through word of mouth. It may not take long for you to build up a number of repeat customers. If you prove that you are good at what you do and reliable then you will often find you get weekly, fortnightly, or monthly work off the same people. This is great as it will allow you to have a steady income.

You may need to spend a bit of money when first setting up your business investing in gardening equipment. Some people may not have any gardening equipment or even if they do, they may not want you to use it. It looks more professional if you can go to someone’s house with your own equipment. You will also need to have your own transport, unless you are only going to be working very locally.

If you do not want to be self-employed then you will need to find a company that is looking to take on gardeners. You may decide to work for a company that subcontracts out gardeners to the council for example or sometimes local councils employ their own. You may choose to work in a garden centre where you can interact with customers whilst looking after the plants and shrubs. This is idea if you want to find out more about the different sorts of plants and plant care.

Some schools employ gardeners to maintain the school grounds. The job may also be listed as a ground’s keeper. You may be required to do other tasks that fall under maintenance as well. This job can often be very rewarding and quite enjoyable. Often you are left to your own devices to get the work done.

Gardens can look messy in the winter months as you are not able to get out as often to give it a once over. If you have children or dogs that go out on the grass, it may get very muddy quickly. Ideally, before the bad weather hits you need to go out and spend a few hours tidying it up. Put away any kids toys or equipment that can be put away and try and store your deck chairs and parasol out of the elements.

You will not be able to mow the grass if it is wet so you need to keep on top of it during the autumn and into the winter. If we have a dry day, then make the most of it and go out and give it a quick mow. During the winter months the grass won’t grow very much so it you can keep on top of it until the really cold weather sets in you should be ok. Any potted plants that are temperamental to the cold should be bought inside for the winter or put into a green house to avoid it getting damaged by the frost.

Gardening is often one of those things that you either love or hate. For some, gardening is just another chore that has to be done but for others it is more of a hobby and they look forward to it. Gardening is said to be therapeutic. It can be very calming and relaxing and because you can often see results quite quickly, it can be very rewarding.

If you have never been big on gardening then you may want to give it a try. Start off with something small and that you can accomplish quickly. Simply weeding an area or mowing the lawn can have a huge instant impact and can allow you to see what can be accomplished in a short period of time.

You will need to invest in some gardening equipment but to start off with you can probably get by with a cheaper set that you can pick up from many supermarkets.

If you find that you like gardening then you may decide to invest more and buy better tools. Always read reviews before buying the tools or ask for recommendations from people who you know are avid gardeners.