Preparing your garden for winter - autumn work calendar for Jurassic gardens

Autumn in a Jurassic garden is a time of intensive prep work. What you do in October and November directly affects how your garden survives frost and how quickly it regains vigor in spring.

Final mowing and scarification

The final mowing is done in early October, raising the mower blades 1-2 cm higher than in summer. Taller turf better insulates roots from frost and protects crown nodes from drying winds. After mowing, scarify to remove thatch and allow rainwater to reach the roots.

Protecting frost-sensitive shrubs

• First-year thujas and yews are wrapped in horticultural fleece or burlap, avoiding plastic film that causes condensation and rot.
• Shrub roses are pruned to 40 cm and hilled up with soil or pine bark.
• Butterfly bush and hydrangeas are only lightly trimmed, with main pruning deferred to spring so stems winter better.

In late November, drain and blow out irrigation systems so water left in pipes doesn't crack the installation during the first hard freeze. This is the most important, yet most commonly overlooked, step in closing the garden season.