Dan Pearson Studio

Leaf collection
Falling leaves are half the joy of the autumn. Leave as much as you can, as they will be pulled back to earth in the borders by worms. Enjoy them where they fall on lawns, but rake up before they mulch and kill the grass. Scarify lawns and oversow where they look bare after raking off foliage.

Disease watch
Apply hygiene strategically: clearing fallen foliage affected by leaf diseases will help to prevent re-infection next summer. Rake up and burn diseased foliage rather than composting.

Ponds
Net ponds, or rake larger ones, to keep foliage from falling to the bottom and rotting. Some leaf litter is recycled naturally but a slump of leaf creates an imbalance in the water.

Leaf mould
Leaf mould is valuable stuff, brilliant for mulching woodland plants and incorporating in compost for the likes of lilies. Store in a separate leaf heap or perforated black bin liners, as it can take a year to rot down.

Compost
Turn compost heaps before adding the autumn clear-up. Two heaps are ideal, allowing the full heap to be turned into the empty. Use rotted compost from the bottom and leave a shovelful to "activate" the new material. Well-organised heaps should be turned every three months, but twice yearly – autumn and spring – does it for me.

Apples
Pick what you can before apples become windfalls; save the "keepers" in a cool, airy room for the next few months. Any excess will be enjoyed by birds.

Bedding
Prepare containers and beds where spring colour is required. If you are buying wallflowers bare root, soak for a few hours before planting out. Get plants established before the cold weather sets in. Wallflower and primula can be planted over a layer of spring bulbs to drum up the drama.

Bulbs
Get spring bulbs in while the soil is still warm. Tulips can be planted as late as November. Lily bulbs are best planted now. Sharp grit paved below and around the bulb will help with drainage and keeping ground slugs at bay. Plant hyacinths for winter display indoors. Multi-flora hyacinth varieties are the prettiest (go to Bloms Bulbs).

Vine weevil
Root-nibbling grubs can be damaging, especially in container-grown plants. The window of opportunity narrows as the temperature drops, but nematodes are still active until it dips below 5C (see Defenders). Dilute a solution containing nematodes and water into your pots to avoid using chemicals.

Tender perennials
Bring in house plants and tender perennials before frosts. Decrease water to slow their metabolism, but do not dry off completely. They will lose foliage, but easing them into stasis is desirable. Cool, airy conditions are perfect.

Sowing
Sow sweetpeas and broad beans. The former appreciate the protection of a cool frame or unheated greenhouse.

Shelter your shrubs
Windy gardens can be problematic to shrubs such as rose that have made rapid extension growth during the summer. Wind rock will open up a gap in the soil where water can freeze and damage the plant. Reduce-prune now by one-third to minimise.

And remember to kick a few leaves about and relax into the disorder of autumn. It is a welcome counterpoint to the efforts we have all been making during the growing season.

Read the article on The Observer website
Photo: Sanunas