What to do in your garden borders now... key jobs for autumn (fall) and spring

[@Gardenhappy-k2x]

I think you might have one of the best gardening shows I have ever watched!

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Thank you!

[@heathermcelroy7171]

I think the comments on planting in dry situations is going to be really helpful!

[@kevinjamesparr552]

I think the more you know about gardening the more we need these videos. The thing is we may know as much as they know but it is the start button to get you moving back into jobs

[@dunbardunelm3924]

"The learning nevers stops" 🥰 - another one of the joys of gardening 🤗✨🌿

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

I agree! thank you

[@amyh3619]

Thank you for yet another very helpful video! I especially found interesting Steve’s comment that at the front edge of the border, you want plants that are going to work really hard, with a long flowering season. This could be a very interesting future video, with “top 10 front of border plants”. And then “ top 10 mid-border”, and back of border plants. I’d find it so interesting to see what various plants the experts recommend! Might even be able to grow some of them here in zone 4b in Minnesota!

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Interesting! Thank you

[@Shravanidakeens1178]

This is a great idea for a video. I second it! I find it tricky to select border edge plants. How to combine a variety of them would also be good for that video.

[@kathyfoster181]

❤ Another timely gem. This is the advice I need, when I need it. I just want to get myself wrapped up, gloves on and out there! I love how you ask the experts questions we'd all love to ask, then summarise what's been said, then put your knowledgeable spin on the information. Thank you again Alexandra, love this content 🌺

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Thank you so much!

[@dustyflats3832]

Great points! I just clean up the messy bits like tall sunflowers that tipped and ratty annuals. I just noticed a ladybug trying to find a winter home and I always clean up in spring as the vegetation is crispy and light weight and easy to either crumble in place or rake away. It also protects the plants over winter. There is plenty of time to clean up in spring as I’m not planting until June from now on. We had a late spring frost after having 90*F days and it was devastating. Another reason I will leave mulch on many of the plants later because the weather was so warm it advanced plant growth and the frost killed many. Oh, yes, so right about watering as you plant. My mom always had the hose running when we planted and while backfilling because it got the water and soil around the roots and no air pockets.

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Good points - I agree.

[@kevinjamesparr552]

Yes leave borders until Spring is a best idea/I noticed he is right the compost is easier and better to place on first bin of composter. Love these learning videos

[@JessClearwater]

I would love a video on how to take care of an existing border over the whole year. I’ve just moved somewhere new and I don’t want to break the garden!

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

I'll definitely think about that. But in the meantime, don't worry - nature is very resilient. When I first got a garden, I didn't know anything and a friend told me 'just weed and mulch' and it was an excellent way of getting to know the garden close up.

[@upnorth21]

Thanks for always asking the questions we want to know! I am getting better about not putting the garden to bed :)

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Thank you!

[@joansmith3492]

That is a fabulous border with the right amount of grasses and forbes. I am trying to achieve this in my garden. Not there yet.

[@1Kent]

I'm afraid I'm not very kind when it comes to digging up and dividing perennials. But in my experience they seem to respond well to a bit of rough handling.😅

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Yes!

[@kraaiennest1]

Hi Alexandra, thank you for another great video. Just thought I'd share this with you. I shifted 4 rose bushes (2 Fresia and 2 Bernina floribunda rose bushes) that i planted 15 - 18 years ago. I pruned them hard about 4 months ago (i live in Perth, Australia) and put them in big pots. They weren't thriving in the first location. I'm pleased to say that the Fresias are leafy and now flowering profusely! The Berninas are still recovering from the shock but i have persistently watered and fertilised them, and i can see tiny bits of growth budding out. Yay!

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Well done, it's always worth a try. I was amazed when a hylotelephium (planted when it's official name was still 'sedum') flourished in its new position after 10 years of barely growing in the wrong spot.

[@donnavorce8856]

1:17 how wonderful is the winter garden! And in spring I don't knock the stems down. They support the new plants coming up!

[@jeanniemeagher1774]

Thank you so much for presenting all this knowledge! I will use it for the rest of my life!

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Glad it was helpful!

[@lyndaturner6686]

I was really glad to see this video, it’s such timely advice , even though we are at the end of October here in North Cornwall my garden is still flowering , I am definitely leaving it until Spring now , at 75 and without help in my quite large garden any labour saving tips are gratefully received . Thanks so much .

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Thank you!

[@sunitashastry5270]

I enjoyed the detailed instructions . They will be very useful.

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Glad it was helpful!

[@ettietti8533]

Thank you, Great tips, for separation of plant, and how to prepare the perennial boarder for the spring 😍👍👍

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

You are very welcome

[@tmy1065]

I agree, the when of moving plants depends on your local conditions. I’ve had better luck in my area transplanting in fall, when the soil is still warm and just before our wettest season starts, versus spring, with cold soil and the following summer drought. We don’t get frost or freezing temperatures very often before December so that helps as well. That gives them a couple of months to get settled before going dormant.

[@1Kent]

I just did that with a fern, and am about to with 3 hydrangea.

[@MyFocusVaries]

Thank you for the tips. I believe I've heard Charles Dowding say it isn't that it's "wrong" to prepare a larger planting hole, but that it isn't necessary. And it disturbs the soil structure.

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Yes, he does. There are some disagreements between the 'dig' and 'no dig' factions in gardening, and I'm generally 'no dig' myself, but I think it's interesting to hear alternative views.

[@convinth]

With the longer autumns and shorter Springs we're getting these days, I find it best to move most perennials before winter, and at the same time that allows me to tidy up the borders. Spring is far too short and busy to be doing the clean up then. Obviously some plants such as salvias and penstemons should not be moved until Spring.

[@lornaprice3748]

Living in New Zealand’s south is. I find autumn is a better time to move plants around as our weather is fairly reliable. Spring in Canterbury NZ can be hopelessly unpredictable and we often get snow in spring when we didn’t get snow in winter. Knowing your micro climate is important. But for most temperate climates theres some great advise here.

[@claireleung5716]

Thank you Alexandra for some really useful advices. I better start dividing and move some of my plants.

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Me too!

[@nelidascott6917]

I appreciate yet again another brilliant episode with so many helpful tips however, I would be clearing my garden earlier as I’ve got lots of roses that needs defoliating from developing black spots, I’ll also cut back my hostas and ligularia as they were riddled with slugs this year! II also would like to mulch this autumn hence, needs a clear border for this. I agree you will be informed based on your region and the type of garden you have. ❤

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Thank you!

[@shamsjaffer15]

Thank you again Alexandra for another wonderful helpful video. I was thinking of tidying up my borders,but now I will patiently wait for spring . 😊 Very knowledgeable 🙏🏻

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Thank you!

[@Ellie-w7i]

Really helpful informative video Alexandra. Thanks. X

[@deborahn1144]

Thank you Alexandra for yet another helpful video. I will definitely try and avoid putting the garden to bed this year. The information on dividing plants was very practical too.

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Glad it was helpful!

[@jlp4111]

My perennial/ornamental grass “border” is in a 4’ wide parking strip and on the other side of a 250’ long sidewalk. I have to cut it back so people can walk down the sidewalk and I can shovel snow. Snow plow drivers slide the snow from the street to the strip during snow storms. That strip takes a beating, but bulbs and perennials come back year after year. N Utah, zone 7a. (It’s a mess and a bigger chore if I leave the plants to overwinter, which I’ve done because of an early winter storm.)

[@beckyscheller9358]

Very helpful. And timely

[@DownButNotOutYet]

Good morning Alexander, so nice to see and listen to your informative garden talk. Steve is so spot on with his gardening tips. I do understand that we all have our 'own' ways of dividing and lifting and changing but his advice is sound and sensible. For a large spacious garden, grasses are ideal, so many varieties to choose from, yet, be careful where we plant them, grasses do not need much encouragement to 'take over', they enjoy space and will force their way over other delicate plants. I was thinking if you wish to lift your plants into another location, then we should take notes on what we are planning and if possible clear the intended area and load it over with good compost or organic materials even cover it for winter, although, allow the weather to get to the new area and then weather permitting we can lift and transplant. Gardening is really not too complicated, we make it complicated!! A wide/broad border is always so nice, so much can be done in that space and we can concentrate more in the large area. It was a lovely logical garden talk, those are the most basic steps we can incorporate. Hopefully the winter in Britain will not be too severe this season. I am also making lots of changes in our garden, it must become a more easy garden to maintain and with our unexpected severe summer storms it must be a garden that can cope with those heavy and sometimes hail downpours. I am trusting for good summer rains this season as Africa is a most challenging continent, quite harsh and most definitely not English Cottage Garden style friendly, but we try and outsmart the seasons, sometimes we win sometimes we loose like in all challenges in life. I know you can lift your established rose bushes any time well here we can most of the year, you have to dig well around your plants, when lifting, take as much soil as you can, using two spades, then carting it off to the new well prepared hole, if you have dug the hole spaciously, watered it well, thereby meaning you watered it at least half way up the sides of the hole allowed the water to drain, then when your roses are placed into the hole you can again fill around the roots with gentle watering, provided the roots do not dry out or get damaged, it has a 100% rate of thriving. It has been done successfully. I think that I would do in Spring after pruning then giving the rose a new home. Worth the try if you want to keep the roses. Plants are amazing. Happy gardening, do take care, looking forward to your next gardening talk. Kind regards, Elize.

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Thank you, that was very interesting.

[@suzannebartow6390]

Great questions....size of hole, watering, fertilizing plants. I will go with all these recommendations.

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Perfect!

[@SpanishEclectic]

I'm surprised you are having such a dry Autumn. It's been the coolest, rainiest we've ever had here in San Diego, and I've lived here my whole life. We rarely get serious frost, and even have heatwaves (dry wind, with summertime temps, sometimes in November or February!), so I've always tried to clear away the dead material by winter. I even strip all of the leaves off my roses when pruning them, because if it gets too warm and it rains in early spring, any remaining leaves can get rust or powdery mildew. Every climate has special considerations...I once read in a rose book that in Montana they dig the soil out one side, lay the rose bushes down, and cover them with straw for the winter! BTW, that is a fantastic jacket. :)

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Thank you, it's one of my favourites - 20+ years old!

[@Dahliaismypassion]

I clean my garden in the fall and will continue to do so because my garden is too big for 1 person(me) and there is no way I will leave it until spring. It would become really really overwhelming when planting season starts. Also we don’t really have spring here, it literally goes from winter into summer so time is limited. I would take these advises carefully based on your location, time limits and your situation. Also there is something to be said for the diseased foliage and pests. You do not want that to sit in your garden and get worse, clean it away wild life or not, especially in urban areas when your neighbors literally only feet away from you. You don’t want to spread your pests and diseases. So yeah, clean away despite all the advises you get on KZbin!

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

As Steve and Lou said 'do the jobs when you've got time to do them!' So they would entirely agree with clearing in the fall in your circumstances. And gardeners will also be very different about how much they leave 'pests and diseases'. Naturally if you have something very serious in your garden, such as box tree moth caterpillar, then you should clear it away, but there's been too much emphasis in the past on clearing things away that are a natural part of the garden.

[@dustyflats3832]

@@TheMiddlesizedGardenI don’t clear much away because that old foliage helps protect the plants in cold country. In Fall I’ve noticed ladybugs finding a winter home among the dead vegetation. Yes, it’s more work in Spring, but it’s actually easier to clear away because the dead vegetation is crispy and breaks off easy and lighter weight. I will selectively clear away messy plants like falling sunflowers or ratty annuals. Wisconsin, Z5a, US.

[@lauravalenzuela2233]

Great information. Unfortunately I’ve already done a clean-up because it was chaos out there.

[@eileenchang2173]

I believe it depends on what gardening zone one is in, as we get tons of snow and ice and often there’s no time for the garden to break down and for nature to enjoy before diseases and bad mould set in. As with anything there is a balance. E.g. leaving some leaves around the perennials to help protect the roots. As with Jenny from “gardening with Creekside “ says “we have to be students of our own gardens”. 🌎🌸❤️🇨🇦

[@dunbardunelm3924]

I like doing some in autumn and some in spring -- it can be so exhausting, especially when you're the only person doing everything lol. I love it though 🥰. PS. Splitting my time gives me the chance to plant both types of bulbs too 😅🎉

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Yes, I agree, for some gardening zones, spring and autumn come and go so quickly that you have to do a clear up whenever you get the opportunity. I think it's probably worth checking which diseases and 'bad moulds' might occur in your area, though, and whether they are really likely to be a problem - everyone used to think that the fungus that appears in autumn would be damaging to gardens, for example, and a few are (honey fungus and verticilium wilt, for example). But research now shows that most fungus/funghi are essential to the workings of a healthy garden - and 'moulds' are usually funghi. So I think 'yes, definitely students of our own gardens,' plus re-evaluating from time to time.

[@JoannaLouise200]

Lovely video ~ great practical advice! One thing I've seen in local municipal sapling/tree planting is a flexible tube of plastic planted bottom end alongside the plant roots and top end raised at least 6 inches above the soil ~ for getting water directly to the roots, rather than just the surface. This method does, though, largely rely on public spirited homeowners to water the trees lining pavements or grounds outside their homes.

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Interesting - I think it also protects from rabbits etc nibbling the bottom of the tree?

[@JoannaLouise200]

@@TheMiddlesizedGarden I didn't describe it very well! 🙂....I didn't mean a sleeve around the sapling stem/trunk, but an independent flexible pipe about 6cm in diameter, and about 15cm or so away from the trunk...a watering tube.

[@donaldauguston9740]

Thank you, Alexandra. It would be nice to go "plant by plant" in one of your videos because i don't always know the name of my plants so I cannot always know when they should be moved or cut-back. One reason I have always cut-back in autumn is so I don't step on bulbs in the spring. I find it very hard to see them in spring and often stomp on them which is not a problem in autumn.

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

That's a good point. Yes, I will try to go plant by plant at some point - and I try to name plants, but sometimes the info isn't available. Good suggestion.

[@22temara]

Hello my dear. 👍👍😍😍🌹♥️🌹♥️🌹

[@pennywilkendorf2925]

As always, excellent advice!

[@aodhaganfitzsimons6803]

Great tips

[@juliabinford6500]

Another great video. Because digging has become difficult for me, I wonder if I could size reduce a perennial by cutting back part of its foliage as it emerges? I’m considering eliminating perennials that require division. I’m dealing with Iris and shasta daisy.

[@dunbardunelm3924]

I'm sure (well, hope) a gardening neighbour would be more than willing to help you and then they could take a section away with them 🥰🌿✨. Plant swapping can also be fun; swap a few perennials for a small shrub perhaps? 🥰🌿 xx

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

I think it might be better to switch to shrubs. What about salvias or roses? there's such a wide choice in each.

[@geraldinefields1730]

Thank you

[@camillaluckey4136]

Always appreciate the valuable tips and inspiration, but I could not understand Steve’s word when he said rhododendrons would be ‘dead plants’ if planted in such-and-such (wrong soil) __?__ place.

[@hattiedraper1061]

“If you plant a rhododendron on chalk it will be a dead plant”

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

thank you, Yes, it was chalk. Rhododendrons like acid soil.

[@paulinecrispin121]

Hi, I always enjoyed your videos and the information you share 😊 ❤. I love this video too. However, I note that when I watch videos from America they say 'Fall.' They do not bother to translate and use Autumn. As we in Britain were using the word Autumn long before America was colonised. I don't see why any of us need to use the phrase "Autumn stroke Fall." 🙄

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Autumn and fall were both English (UK) words and only slowly became linked to different regions after Independence. I sometimes say 'fall' anyway as I went to an American (US) school for some of my childhood - I'm not sure there's a truly satisfactory way of negotiating this particular issue.

[@dunbardunelm3924]

I find using the word 'Fall' is great for when the clocks need changing: Fall back and Spring forward 😊.

[@paulinecrispin121]

Get that. I just get concerned that too many American words are taking over 😮

[@emkn1479]

@@TheMiddlesizedGarden we do understand what Autumn means, and some in the US do use the term, so in my estimation there’s really no need to use both words here 🤷‍♀️ we get what you’re saying 😉🙃 (then folks on your end won’t get needlessly flustered 😂). The English language, in general, is far from pure, and is such an amalgamation of words stemming from various languages and has changed incredibly over time-I’m surprised people get worked up about such things… Thanks for the seasonal advice. Another topic that elicits strong opinions! The best advice I’ve heard about dividing/moving is to do it in the (relative) opposite season from flowering. Makes sense, and it’s so easy to remember! I also find a very sharp, serrated bread knife to be invaluable when dividing a stubborn clump.

[@marycain7424]

Great info

[@jaqmackie]

I’ve moved 5 very old roses. Only one didn’t make it. I’d say give it a go. Move your rose it may well survive.

[@donnavorce8856]

I would think if moved when dormant and with good care one would have a pretty good success rate as you did.

[@samiecain1244]

@@donnavorce8856 I have moved roses in full foiliage & budded, as i am impatient during late spring ^ as long as watered well they have all survived & flowered well that same season ! I 'm in Cheshire so we get a lot of Welsh rain here on sandy soil ....but it can easily be done .......I always move plants when i need to , i either forget to move in winter or dont want to wait :)

[@LucyLeaf]

I’ve never had much luck with moving roses, but the breakthrough for me was to take cuttings. Very easy to do and I ended up with more stock.

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Interesting, I might as well give it a go...still thinking about it, and thank you.

[@LouciferFlump]

Should you cut back perennials in autumn if they’ve got really soggy and mushy, though? If they’re not holding up well and looking pretty rimmed with frost but rather just a squashy mess..? Isn’t it better to clear that sort of material to avoid diseases occurring etc.?

[@donnavorce8856]

Make your decisions based on a plant by plant basis. Squashy rotten mess probably would be better composted. Dry standing grasses and stems and seed heads are interesting in winter and ought to be left standing.

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Yes, I agree, do it on a plant by plant basis. It's worth remembering that plants turn into a squashy mess in nature. I don't think you're likely to get diseases occurring just because plant matter is breaking down, because it's a natural process. But I think Steve and Lou (and the late, great Christopher Lloyd) would say 'the best time to do something is when you've got time' and if you don't like the look of something, then by all means clear it away. It's your garden, so you're the ultimate judge of what you want to do when! Most people clear dahlia foliage for example, even if they don't lift and store their dahlias for winter. But if you decide not to clear it away, see what happens - maybe some of it will just go back into the earth without your having to do much.

[@alineonbeauty6294]

I’m moving plants into pots as I’m still planning what to do next year, would that be ok?

[@donnavorce8856]

I do that also. Saves a lot of money too recycling all my plant material.

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Yes, almost all plants will grow in pots and in winter they're not growing much anyway. However, pots can get cold (colder than the ground) so either keep them in a protected area or cover them with hessian or similar if you're going to get very cold weather.

[@KristiinaBerg]

Is chicken poo or horse manure artificial? How do fertilize blueberies? How about dahlias without artificial fertilizers?

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Chicken poo and horse manure are natural, not artificial. If you want to use fertiliser on blueberries, look for one marked 'ericaceous.' I don't use fertiliser on my dahlias, but I do put garden compost or horse manure on my soil.

[@KristiinaBerg]

@@TheMiddlesizedGarden Thank you so much for taking time to answer.

[@marianmcoy7816]

Are there some plants that are better divided/moved in the spring?

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Yes, and the RHS has advice for particular plants. Ornamental grasses for example are better moved in the spring, but I think what Lou and Steve say is that you can really move most plants at any time, you'll just have to be more careful with looking after it if you move it at the 'less optimal' times. There often isn't an exact answer in gardening, just 'most likely' or 'probably better' - and of course different people often have different views.