Katie Rushworth brand identity
Katie Rushworth brand identity

My Journal

Autumn planting in your garden

Autumnal walks through fallen leaves

I love the start of autumn – I love the crisp, bright air, the quality of the light and the promise of cosy evenings. That said, it’s heart-wrenching to bid farewell to summer! Through the start of September (in the UK at least), our summer bedding displays are beginning to reach the end of the road, and I’m really loath

ITV gardener Katie Rushworth tends her garden at hometo let them go. To cheer myself up, around this time that I start to plan my winter and spring garden schemes. Clearing out summer bedding and replacing it with spring bulbs and winter bedding is a great way to stay busy in the autumn garden, and it’ll really give you something to look forward to next year.

Clearing your summer borders

Remove whole bedding plants as they reach the end of their lifespan to prevent them self-seeding, and fork over the areas to aerate the soil. It’s a great idea to mix through some well-rotted manure or compost (read my article on making your own compost here). You can also trim back woody stems such as rosemary and lavender here to ensure they grow back with a pleasing shape.

Planting spring bulbs

Winter flowering pansies

Image by Capri23auto from Pixabay

This is a big job, but it’s really satisfying to can think ahead to the amazing displays of daffs, narcissii, crocuses, alliums, tulips and fritillary you’ll be enjoying once the days start to lengthen again. Try to get ahead of the crowds at the garden centre, as the best bulbs disappear quickly! Don’t skimp on your purchases either, as this usually turns out to be false economy. I look for plump, healthy bulbs with no visible signs of damage or bruising, and plant them out straight away. You can opt to plant them in regular patterns, or scatter them and plant where they fall for a more natural finish.

When planting your bulbs, a good rule of thumb is to bury them at a depth of about three times the bulb’s height. If there are lots of bulbs to plant, it’s fun to use a special bulb-planting tool that will make sure to gouge the soil deeply enough – even little ones enjoy this game. If your soil is heavy or clay-based, sprinkle some coarse sand into the bottom of the hole to improve drainage in the rooting area. Then, replace the soil over the top of the bulb and pat down gently. Easy!

Planting your winter bedding

I love plants that provide a welcome splash of colour over the winter. Here are a couple of great plug plants to buy and add to your beds now.

  • Winter-flowering pansies are a firm favourite in winter displays thanks to their huge range of bright shades like purple, orange, blue and red. They thrive in full sun, but are happy in partial shade, making them ideal for winter hanging baskets as well as bedding.
  • Wallflowers are a rustic, vigorous plant with a very relaxed growing habit – perfect for a more informal feel. Their greenery is pleasing throughout winter, and varieties like ‘Sugar Rush’ will bloom into early winter if the weather is kind.
  • Violas are hardy beauties with an abundance of colourful blooms on sturdy stems. Some varieties have a lovely scent that’s a sure pick-me-up for the winter.
  • Polyanthus have long-lasting, brightly coloured flowers from January through to May. Keep on top of deadheading them to encourage more blooms.
  • Cyclamen give a gorgeous woodland effect, and self-seed each year to ensure a carpet of blooms through deepest, darkest winter. They look great next to snowdrops.
  • Plant out some stocks now for a charming winter rosette of leaves, and they’ll reward you with a fabulously colourful display come spring.

Katie's expertise is transforming clients' gardens with their video calls and garden visits...

My consultation with Katie was superb! Katie's focused and erudite knowledge really helped me transform my garden into something I would truly be proud to show off. Katie went into great depth and was very patient with my questions, guiding me through the process and enabling me to understand her thinking. I could not praise Katie enough, and would truly recommend her to anyone who is keen to breathe some new life into their garden!  

Shazia

I am absolutely delighted with Katie’s design service and feel that it was money very well spent. Katie came up with something that we would never have thought of but still feel is totally achievable. She completely fulfilled every point on the brief I had written and was so prompt with all of the follow-up information, including a helpful sketch and list of suitable planting. Katie has totally exceeded my expectations of what I thought could be achieved in a 30-minute call!

Claire

It was really great having a consultation with Katie. I really enjoyed it and she is so knowledgeable, advising me some ideas that are going to transform our garden. I'm so grateful. I've never known where to start and now I have a way forward. After I've finished my back garden I'm going to get a second consultation for the front. Thanks so much.

Anonymous

I would not hesitate to recommend Katie's Gardening Consultation via Zoom. Her knowledge of plants & garden design has helped enormously in my deciding what to do with the Garden.
Katie has given great advice & recommendations for making the garden perfect for us. 

Sandra

My zoom consult with Katie far exceeded my expectations!  She clearly took the time to assess my garden before our call and presented a brilliant plan for my garden as well as provided lots of tips for the planting.  I was even able to show her some additional problem areas in my garden during the consult and she offered practical advice that was really helpful and allowed me to envision what my garden can become with a little confidence and willingness to plant and design more boldly! I can’t say enough positive things about the consult. I highly recommend! 

Kyla in Southwest Idaho, USA

We were looking for some fresh ideas to rejuvenate an old garden. Katie has an easy-going and friendly approach which is underpinned by her extensive knowledge. She quickly aligned herself to our thought process and understood what we are trying to achieve. 
She made a number of innovative suggestions that challenged our preconceptions and we feel that we now have a plan to move forward.

N & P Cannon

Katie helped us see our dream garden where we couldn’t, taking time to understand our thoughts and favourite parts of the garden.
Katie was great fun to be around and has provided us with a beautiful plan for our garden which we will enjoy for a long time to come.

Anonymous

Without any exaggeration, the Katie Rushworth Garden Maker is the Best Investment I have ever made. My garden was stuck in the past and I had no idea how to transform it. I never dreamt in my wildest dreams, that I would be lucky enough for Katie Rushworth (personally) to work her magical garden design, with her professionalism and knowledge to transform my garden. She cuts no corners, you get far more than you could ever pay for, she works really hard to deliver the right garden for you and on top of all that she is a very nice person!

Roger in Stourbridge

Katie must be a mindreader because the scheme she created for us was just perfect; great variety, textures and all very much in the Japanese theme we had dreamed of. It was so helpful and also really enjoyable to be able to spend the day planting with her and learn lots of useful tips for maintenance and beyond. We can’t wait to watch it grow and change with the seasons.

Ruth in York

Working with Katie has been fantastic and worth every penny, she has helped me create two beautiful areas in my garden. It now looks fantastic!

Fiona in Holmfirth

Katie has been incredibly helpful as we set about transforming our front & back gardens, and we have learnt so much in a short space of time. We didn’t want someone to just do it all for us – we wanted to be hands-on but with some guidance & encouragement, and Katie’s mentoring has been perfect for that. She is very easy to work with, great fun – and she’s certainly done her share of digging & planting too!

Andrew & Susan in Baildon

Katie really knows her plants, where they are happiest. She understood our needs and wants and simply delivered. Great knowledge, great advice and taught this old dog a few new tricks giving me the confidence to take my own garden planning to the next level.

Tricia & Ian in East Hardwick

Katie Rushworth is a passionate and knowledgeable gardener whose enthusiasm is infectious. She has a great eye for design and is also good at explaining things. Oh, and she’s not at all afraid to get her hands dirty!

Alan Titchmarsh