Seeds to sow now:

Indoors or in a greenhouse

Antwerp hollyhock, Fig-leaved hollyhock, Hollyhock

Bristly hollyhock

Common hollyhock

Hollyhock

Lettuce

Outside

Broad bean

What else to plant now:

Apple & pear trees (bare rooted)

Roses (bare rooted)

Outside under cover


Shows and events:

I have checked the events listed below and have added comments where necessary. Please check the show website before travelling, as some events are very popular and the venues may have put restrictions in place, others might have to be cancelled at the last minute.

04/12/2024 - 29/12/2024

Wentworth Woodhouse: 'Twas The Night Before Christmas  'Twas The Night Before Christmas @ Wentworth Woodhouse
Decorated State Rooms and light trail through the West Front Gardens.
- Wentworth, Rotherham, South Yorkshire S62 7TQ

'Twas The Night Before Christmas 'Twas The Night Before Christmas

17/04/2025 - 17/04/2025

Three Counties Showground: CountryTastic  CountryTastic @ Three Counties Showground
CountryTastic returns to the Three Counties Showground during this year's school Easter holidays. The educational, agricultural show is aimed at children under 10, their parents and guardians. Visitors can expect a hands-on, action-packed day of discovery with plenty of indoor and outdoor activities. Entry is by pre-booked tickets only.
- Three Counties Showground, Malvern, Worcestershire WR13 6NW

CountryTastic CountryTastic

02/05/2025 - 04/05/2025

National Motor Museum: BBC Gardeners' World Fair - Spring  BBC Gardeners' World Fair - Spring @ National Motor Museum
Plant sales, tips and inspiration. Food market and live bandstand entertainment. Set in the grounds and gardens of Beaulieu. Including BBC goodfood Market
- Beaulieu, New Forest, Hampshire SO42 7ZN

BBC Gardeners' World Fair - Spring BBC Gardeners' World Fair - Spring

08/05/2025 - 11/05/2025

Three Counties Showground: RHS Malvern Spring Festival  RHS Malvern Spring Festival @ Three Counties Showground
Show gardens, floral marquee and plant pavilion. Opportunities to buy plants, garden tools and equipment directly from the trade.
- Three Counties Showground, Malvern, Worcestershire WR13 6NW

RHS Malvern Spring Festival RHS Malvern Spring Festival

20/05/2025 - 24/05/2025

RHS Chelsea Flower Show  Perhaps the most famous and prestigious flower show in the world. It has been held for over 100 years, starting in 1862 and was originally known as the Great Spring Show. It was held at the RHS garden in Kensington, moving to the Royal Hospital Chelsea grounds in 1913, when it was a three day show. The whole event now covers the equivalent of 8 football pitches, including the 12,000 sq m Great Pavilion, and all of the show gardens are put together in just three weeks (19 days) by over 8,000 people and dismantled in the 5 days after the show.
London Gate, Royal Hospital Road, Royal Hospital Chelsea, London, SW3 4SR

RHS Chelsea Flower Show RHS Chelsea Flower Show

08/06/2025 - 08/06/2025

Open Farm Sunday  First launched in 2006, more than 2 million people have now visited over 1,600 farms. Over 400 British farms are opening their gates to the public, to show how our farms operate and promote home grown produce. See their website for your nearest open farm.

Open Farm Sunday Open Farm Sunday

12/06/2025 - 15/06/2025

The NEC: BBC Gardeners' World Live  BBC Gardeners' World Live @ The NEC
Show gardens and floral marquee, gardening advice, demonstrations and the chance to buy plants! Run in conjunction with BBC Good Food Show Summer.
- North Avenue, Marston Green, Birmingham, West Midlands B40 1NT

BBC Gardeners' World Live BBC Gardeners' World Live

13/06/2025 - 15/06/2025

Three Counties Showground: Royal Three Counties Show  Royal Three Counties Show @ Three Counties Showground
A celebration of farming and country living. Lots of activities in the main arena to keep the whole family entertained. Food and drink festival, crafts, exhibits and entertainment. The show also includes International Orchid Show.
- Three Counties Showground, Malvern, Worcestershire WR13 6NW

Royal Three Counties Show Royal Three Counties Show

01/07/2025 - 06/07/2025

Hampton Court Palace: RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival  RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival @ Hampton Court Palace
Hampton Court Palace Flower Show is the largest annual flower show in the World. However, after the 2025 show it is changing to a biennial event. Lots of large and smaller show gardens and marquees displaying flowers, plants and fruit. A whole marquee is dedicated for the 'Festival of roses'. Hampton Court has 34 acres of parkland so the flower show is able to spread out more than Chelsea. Unlike Chelsea where you can only purchase plants on the last day sell-off, at Hampton Court you can purchase plants and garden sundries on all days. In the last couple of hours in the afternoon of the last show day, a lot of the plants that have been in the display gardens are sold off at a reduced prices, so you may get a bargain. However, this also means that in late afternoon it's a bit frenetic and difficult to see the displays at their finest.30 minutes by train from London Waterloo.
- East Molesey, East Molesey, Surrey KT8 9AU

RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival

16/07/2025 - 20/07/2025

Wentworth Woodhouse: RHS Flower Show Wentworth Woodhouse  RHS Flower Show Wentworth Woodhouse @ Wentworth Woodhouse
A completely new RHS show for 2025. Floral marquee, show gardens, floristry displays, expert talks and advice, trade stands and food and drink stalls.
- Wentworth, Rotherham, South Yorkshire S62 7TQ

RHS Flower Show Wentworth Woodhouse RHS Flower Show Wentworth Woodhouse

26/09/2025 - 28/09/2025

Three Counties Showground: Malvern Autumn Show  Malvern Autumn Show @ Three Counties Showground
A show for food and garden lovers. The event hosts specialist nurseries, including RHS-award winning growers, RHS flower show displays, the CANNA UK National Giant Vegetables championship, a wide selection of seasonal food and drinks stalls, cookery demonstrations, gardening talks, plant sales, vintage tractors, art & craft stalls and more. As the show is quite late in the year, the focus is on food crops and late flowering plants.
- Three Counties Showground, Malvern, Worcestershire WR13 6NW

Malvern Autumn Show Malvern Autumn Show

All event details have been entered as accurately as possible, but please check with the event organisers before travelling to avoid disappointment.

Welcome to the UKGardening Internet site.

The UKGardening web site has been running since 1998. The idea behind the site has always been to provide what we think will be interesting and useful information for the novice gardener.

Enjoy the autumn leaf colour with some of these stunning gardens, woodlands and arboretums

Jobs to do in the garden this week.

  • Remove any yellowing leaves and earth up and firm the soil around the stems of brassicas, including winter cabbage and Brussels sprouts, to support the plant and reduce the rocking with winter winds.
  • Switch outside water taps off at the mains and leave the outside tap open, draining any water, so the pipes don't freeze.
  • Try not to be too tidy in the garden. Leaving seed heads and long ornamental grasses provide food for birds and insects. They can also add height and interest over the winter.
  • Plant or move roses. They like plenty of sun and a clay soil. Leave 60cm (24in) between plants to allow air circulation, which will reduce the chance of infection.
  • Plant apple and pear trees. Check and adjust any stakes on young trees and remove stakes on any trees that have been planted more than 3 years.
  • On a dry still day rake up fallen leaves, don't put them on the compost heap, as leaves break down in a cold process, whereas a traditional compost heap breaks organic matter down in a warm/hot process. Put them into a leaf composter, or make leaf mould. How to make leaf mould.
  • Put out feeders for birds. Nuts, seeds, suet balls and mealworms are available in most supermarkets now, but birds also love chopped bacon rind, apple and pear cores, dried fruit and pieces of crumbled hard cheese. Don't forget to put out fresh water, floating a tennis ball in the water should prevent the water from freezing over. Encouraging birds into the garden will help reduce the number of insects and slugs.
  • Plant summer and or autumn fruiting raspberry canes.
  • Empty any decorative and non-frostproof pots and store them undercover, in a shed, greenhouse or garage. If they are kept empty and dry over winter they are less likely to be damaged by frost. Frostproof terracotta pots planted with a winter display should be lifted onto clay pot feet, to allow any excess water to drain out and reduce slug and snails climbing the side of the pot to eat your plants.
  • During autumn and winter, indoor plants will require less feeding and watering. However as the temperature drops outside, the central heating goes on and the temperature in the house tends to go up, so whilst it's a good idea to keep your pot plants on the dry side and not water them too often, you should check a couple of times a week to ensure they haven't totally dried out. Oh and if you have a water spray bottle, hold the plant over the sink or bath and give the foliage a quick little squirt (don't do this to hairy leaved plants like African violets).
  • Don't go and buy an indoor (small) watering can, I find that the kettle does just as good a job, but obviously not after it has just boiled!! (the water should be room temperature or cooler).
  • Early November is usually the time to prune roses, but the weather is still mild and I still have flowers and buds on some of mine, so I'll wait until they have finished flowering when they can then be pruned, cutting them back to half their height.
  • After a frost try to stay off the grass. Treading on the lawn in frosty conditions can damage the grass.
  • Order bare root roses. Bare root roses are cheaper to buy and have posted than container-grown roses. There is also a much broader range of roses available by mail-order than can be purchased in most garden centres.
     
    Ordering early and planting within the first few weeks of October will allow them to start to get established before the hard winter frosts, but planted later in the winter/new year (up until the end of April), they'll still settle in quickly, begin to sprout and flower in the summer. When planting a bare root rose in winter you'll initially need to water it in well, but unless we have a particularly dry spell it shouldn't need additional watering, if planting in early spring, you'll need to keep an eye on the weather and water regularly to stop the roots from drying out.
  • Refirm the roots of any shrubs that may have been lifted by frost.
  • Keep an eye on the weather forecast. Cover shrubs that are likely to be damaged by frost with garden fleece, sacking or an old light blanket.
  • To reduce the chance of introducing infection when pruning or deadheading, wipe the blades of secateurs, loppers and snips with a rag soaked with a garden disinfectant, such as Jeyes fluid, which can also be used to wipe down garden tables and chairs.
  • Choosing a real Christmas tree.
  • Move any planted up pots and containers closer to the house so you can enjoy the colours and textures of the plants through your windows.
  • Spray fruit trees. When all the leaves have fallen, spray with a winter tree wash, these are now vegetable oil based, as the traditional tar oil washes have been banned. This cleans the branches and kills fungal spores and over-wintering insects and their eggs. Note: Only use on a calm, still day, cover nearby ponds and green leaved plants, and wear suitable protection (gloves, goggles and mask are advised).
  • After all the windy weather check fence posts and panels are still secure and repair as necessary. Make sure that the shed roof is still water tight.
  • Autumn or late winter are the best times to lay a new lawn, as it's damper and cooler, allowing the turf to bed in without you having to worry too much about regular watering. See here: laying a new lawn for further information.
  • Collect holly and ivy for Christmas decoration. It's legal to collect foliage on public land, as long as it's for your use and not for sale. Don't put up the plant, take secateurs to cut off what you need.

 

 

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