Back to school for the kids this month! This will give many of us a little bit of extra spare time to spend in the garden carrying out those late summer/early autumn jobs. The children
may be going back to school to brush up on their reading and writing, but there’s also plenty to learn in the garden – young or old, it’s never too late to learn how to look after your garden. Here are a few ideas on what tasks you and the kids can carry out this month in your garden:

One of your autumn jobs this month would be to start planting your springtime bulbs. Children (and grown-ups too!) will love seeing them bloom in the New Year. Daffodils, Crocus and Hyacinths are all popular choices, and are easy for the kids to get involved with.

You can plant them in your borders by simply digging to a depth double the size of the bulb. If you’re going for pots, don’t forget to use a quality compost and plant them at three times their own depth. Some may say the more bulbs the better to make for a really impressive display- but if you’re planting quite a few, don’t forget to give them one bulb’s width in between one another so they aren’t restricted.

There’s nothing more satisfying than
growing your own vegetables, and even over the colder months, you can grow a variety of produce in your own back garden. Leeks, onions, peas and potatoes will all continue to grow over winter ready to be harvested and perhaps made into a warming winter soup!

You’ve probably thought about your own family tree, but have you ever thought about planting a tree as a family? An apple tree is a great asset to any garden, even the smallest of gardens can accommodate the smaller varieties which can be planted in tubs. Just remember that trees in tubs will need more watering than those in the ground. It’s also best to prune apple trees over winter – so there’s no excuse not to get out into the garden as it gets colder!