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How to plan for the seasons in your garden

Your garden is ever changing, with something new to look at every season. Spring brings with it brightly coloured bulbs, blossom, and new buds on the trees. Then, in the summer months, the borders are full of scented blooms and delicious fruits and vegetables, as all your hard work comes to fruition. Summer eventually fades into autumn, and the skeleton of your garden is revealed – spidery cobwebs hang from orange leaves, and everything gets a much-needed drink of water. Finally, winter brings beautiful frosts, snow and bright berries in the hedgerows.

But this eventual tapestry of colour is only achieved by some careful planning at other times of the year. Thinking ahead and learning about the species of plants that you want to grow is all part of the joy of gardening – there's always something to occupy you and something new to learn.

There’s also no right or wrong way to plant – it’s your space to get creative and make something that you love. However, there are some things that you can do to guide your decisions. In this post, we take a look at how to ensure that you can get the most out of your space across the year.

Use continual sowing to keep consistent colour

Gardening is, of course, seasonal by nature, so it’s to be expected that there will be a fluctuation in plant growth throughout the year – even science can’t stop that. However, there are some tips and tricks you can use to extend the amount of time you see an array of colour in your flowerbeds.

When you get a packet of seeds, you may notice that there is usually a range of months where it’s recommended to sow the seeds. Instead of planting them all at once, you can split the seeds into several sowings, allowing you to stagger the eventual bloom time by several weeks. This will help you keep colour on display in your flowerbeds and stops everything from blooming at the same time.

Think about texture

As well as colour, texture is really important in your flowerbeds. If all the leaves and foliage look similar, the beds will end up looking quite ‘flat’ as everything merges together, especially as the flowers go over. Using a variety of textures can add a different dynamic to your garden – you’ll notice that wispy plants add a more delicate air, whilst chunky, wide leaves tend to catch the eye and focus attention.

Texture can also add interest as the garden fades from summer to autumn. Even if the beautiful flowers are gone, the bare bones of a plant can still be eye-catching, especially as the mornings cool off and dew hangs on the leaves.

Consider the weather

When you’re deciding on what to plant, make sure to include some drought tolerant plants as well as some that can withstand heavy rainfall – then, even if you lose your ornamental flowers, you’ll still have something left to look at in the garden. This is especially likely in the autumn and winter months, although spring showers can have the same effect.

You may also find that focusing on plants that are native to your area will give them the best chance of survival. Simply planting for summer heat means that you’ll lose almost everything in the other months, and you’ll have to fight to maintain the correct conditions. Instead, focus on native plants that are already designed to fit in with the local weather conditions. They’ll look better, last longer, and are better for the pollinators.

Enjoy your garden

The main role of any garden is to be enjoyed. As a gardener, it can feel like there is a lot to do and only a short amount of time to do it, but you should try and relax and enjoy the process to get the most benefit out of it. No matter the season, make sure to take time to sit back and admire the beauty you’ve created.

Published: 10 November 2023