Ground RULES!

Show the backyard some love this autumn

Tidy up

Now is the time to remove spent vegetable plants, clean up garden debris and weeds, and prune trees to remove damaged or diseased branches. Cull dead or unhealthy plants and groom others by removing unsightly leaves from around their base, and tackle the weeds. Collect autumns leaves; left on the ground, they can smother the grass or plants beneath them. Add these leaves to your compost heap to make natural fertiliser. Do a tidy-up of hedges and edges around your lawn.

Lawn love

Pamper your lawn by giving it a good rake and removing debris. Next, aerate by sticking a garden fork in your lawn at regular intervals. This will prevent the top layer of soil from becoming too compacted and create channels for water, air and nutrients to access the roots. This will also encourage worms to do their thing and redistribute nutrients. Spread extra grass seed if required, so it looks lush and full in spring.

Pops of colour