As summer fades away in our rearview mirrors, autumn marks the arrival of more rainy days for many of us. In preparation for the weather ahead, clean out your water butt by jet-washing the interior and exterior. It’s then clean and ready to collect rainwater over the coming months, which you can use to water your plants, clean off dirty boots, and even wash the car. It’s a nifty way to save on your water bill!

Use a tough outdoor brush or leaf blower to clear your paths, patios, and decks, especially if your garden is surrounded by trees. In the autumn, falling leaves combined with wet weather conditions can create dangerously slippery surfaces. Instead, gather up fallen leaves and add them to your compost heap. They’ll break down into mulch over the coming months—perfect food for your plants! If your paved areas suffer from moss or mildew, use a pressure washer to dislodge debris and achieve a thorough clean.

The autumn months often see rain and wind roll into our gardens so take this opportunity to tend to your outdoor plant pots. Leaving containers on the terrace increases the chances of your prized blooms getting waterlogged when the next storm sweeps in. Instead, elevate your pots to ensure they're not left standing in water, either by positioning them on a raised surface or using pot feet to lift them up off the ground, like this frost-proof bee design from Etsy.

Autumn is the perfect time to start sowing the vegetables that will provide you with an abundant harvest this winter, as well as next spring and summer. Following the warmer months, the soil will still be warm, so seeds will germinate quickly. So, over the next few weeks, start to sow leafy vegetables like spinach, spring cabbage, broad beans, and peas. Now is also a great time to sow turnips, radishes, onions, and garlic.

The winter months can be challenging for wildlife, so transform your backyard into the ultimate animal paradise by creating some practical (and attractive) habitats. You can either buy a ready-made wildlife hotel, or build your own stack using shrubbery clippings or leftover logs. If you're building a cosy nest, do so in a quiet corner of the garden, like behind the shed, so any wildlife hibernating there won't be disturbed. A simple pile of twigs will be a wonderful spot for hedgehogs to hunker down.

Frost-sensitive plants such as roses, blossoms, and young shrubs should be covered with leaves, undergrowth or twigs—using bubble wrap is a great gardening hack as it helps ward off the cold air. Don't forget to remove the wrapping from your plants when the weather gets a bit milder to stop them from sweating and rotting, then replace it when the temperature takes a tumble again.

Try to tidy up your hedges before winter sets in so they're easier to maintain when the cold weather hits. Sharpened hand-held shears work fine for smaller foliage, but if your hedges are a bit bigger you may find it easier to use a petrol or electric hedge trimmer to get the job done quickly and easily.

Make sure to thoroughly clean around and underneath your pots as slugs are drawn to dark enclosed spaces. Take extra precautions and rake up the soil and leaves around your planters to remove any potential hiding places. Raking the soil also allows birds to clear up any slug eggs that could wreak havoc in the future.

Make sure you prune your plants while the weather's still mild. Try to cut your shrubs to about a quarter of their original size and thin out the congested stems to improve air circulation. Berries and perennials in particular will benefit from a cutback, as will plants like lavender and rosemary that don't handle pruning well in the winter.

Rake away any moss or dead grass that has built up on your lawn—pick up a bottle of moss killer if there's too much to remove by hand. Once you've finished raking, apply an autumn lawn feed to make the roots stay strong in the cold months ahead. You could even put the dead grass and debris aside for composting to use as fertiliser in the future.

Autumn is the perfect season for a lawn makeover so revamp yours by laying down some new grass. A standard piece of turf will cover about 10 square feet of soil—make sure you buy from a reputable supplier and get it delivered straight to your door to avoid any fuss. Ideally, you should lay it down within a day of delivery so it doesn't turn yellow.

A good way to recycle dead and fallen leaves is by making your own leaf mulch. Use wooden stakes and wire mesh to create a large bin in a sheltered spot in your garden. Fill it with leaves, then sprinkle it with water and leave for a few months until the leaves are crumbly, then simply spread it around your borders like a mulch to give your soil and plants some nutrients. If you want to create a soil conditioner, let the leaves rot for around a year.

Keep your leafy plants protected from the frost and wildlife by covering them before winter sets in. There's a range of coverings to choose from depending on your needs, ranging from fleece to protect sensitive plants from the cold to bird netting to shield your strawberries from hungry mouths. If possible, it's best to buy your netting in person from your local garden centre or DIY store to ensure that you get the right covering for your foliage.

Far from being a nuisance, ladybirds will actually help you get rid of other annoying insects and pests in your garden. To lure more ladybirds into your garden, add flat flowering plants which will act as great landing spots. Shrubs that are particularly attractive to ladybirds include dill, caraway, coriander and yarrow.

The best time to clean plant pots is at the start of a new season. Dirty pots can contain pests, bacteria and fungus that can really do damage to your garden so it's important to be thorough. In a sink or a large container, dilute bleach with water to create a disinfectant. Use a stiff brush to scrub away dried soil and debris, then leave them to dry in the sun.

Make sure you keep caring for new plants as temperatures drop, as they're especially vulnerable to the change in temperature. An eco-friendly way to keep them well-watered is to buy a water butt from your local garden centre or DIY store. Fit one onto a drainpipe to catch excess rainwater which can then be used to keep your garden hydrated.

Give your bird feeders a good scrub to help keep the germs away. Use boiling hot water to kill off any parasites that may be lurking inside the boxes and make sure that it's completely dry before you restock it for the winter. It's a good idea to give your bird box a scrub too providing it's no longer active—there are some birds that nest well into September.

Give your forks, spades, and other tools a good wash and dry them thoroughly. Clean any wooden handles with linseed oil for extra protection, but make sure that you carefully dispose of any used rags as linseed can be combustible. Applying some oil to the metal parts of your equipment is also a good idea as it will prevent rusting. Now is the perfect time to check your secateurs and shears are sharpened for the new season too.

Make sure you pick all the ripe fruit before the cold weather ruins your hard work. Choose a dry day to harvest your fruit and handle it carefully when testing its ripeness. A tried and tested gardening tip, it's important to remember to store ripe fruit in a box or crate—airtight containers will cut off the air supply and speed up decay. If you’re growing corn, check if it's ready to harvest by pinching the kernel and checking for a milky sap. 

Turn off any water connections and disconnect water features and pumps to prevent frost from getting into the pipes and causing serious damage. Insulating your pipes with electrical heat tape or foam insulation wrap is a good way to keep them protected and frost-free too.

Now is the time to plan ahead. Buy some bulbs and plant them now to add colour to your garden come the spring—c rocuses, tulips and daffodils are sure to brighten up any outdoor space. Meanwhile, there's a whole host of plants that flourish in the winter that you can incorporate into your planting schedule for the coming year.

Give your compost bins a good clear out for the new season and make use of the old compost by spreading it around your garden. When you start to build up your compost bins again, ensure you select nutrient-rich things that are quick to break down. Great composters include teabags, grass cuttings and vegetable and fruit waste. But before they hit the heap, you could try growing your own vegetables from leftover food scraps.

The start of autumn is a good time to tend to your vegetable garden and check if your potatoes are ready and ripe to be harvested before the frost sets in. Make sure you wait until their foliage turns yellow, then cut and remove it, leaving the plants for ten days before you lift them out of the ground with a shovel or fork. Let the harvested potatoes dry for a few hours before storing them in a dark spot.

It's that time of year again—haul your cold frames out of the garage and clean them with boiling water. Frames with wood or brick sides are particularly effective at protecting plants, flowers and vegetables from the biting cold. Try to fill out any gaps in the frame with mulch, which will help insulate the shrubs and add a nutritious boost to make your plants stronger for the next season.

Make sure you dispose of any infected fruit as it can do a lot of damage to the healthy fruits and plants in your garden, attracting parasites, wildlife and disease. Fungal diseases and disorders such as brown rot can be catastrophic—t here aren't any easy chemical solutions to the infection so keep an eye out for the tell-tale discolouration and wilting in your garden.

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