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Create a Beautiful Fall Garden in October

I'm sitting writing this whilst the Autumn leaves are falling and the first bare patches of earth are arriving in my garden. Whilst there are lots of plants outside that will keep giving pleasure through the winter this is a great time to think about indoor gardening. After all, it's cold outside!

Spruce up perennials: Even hardy perennials such as Shasta daisies, callas and yarrow begin to look scraggily this time of year. Cut back overgrown and dead stems to the ground. They will immediately start growing back with a fuller appearance.

In a pots the soil has to have enough texture (open spaces between the soil particles) to allow oxygen to diffuse into the soil for the roots to absorb. If the soil becomes water-logged the deeper roots rapidly die leading to the slow death of the plant.

Plants for Unheated Porches and Windowsills Plants in these positions can suffer from extremes of temperature. Many plants cannot cope with this but I've found that Azaleas can if you keep the compost wet and move them back outside once the frosts finish. Yuccas are fine in these conditions but cut back on the winter watering and make sure they have plenty of light. Cyclamen are also good and provide a welcome display at the front door.

Hydroponic Systems Hydro systems are designed to provide oxygen in a more efficient manner (in a flood & drain system for instance as the water drains from the root-ball oxygen is dragged in). It can be beneficial to still add extra oxygen to the nutrient tank to stimulate better root growth and nutrient uptake. The design of Deep Water Culture (DWC) systems such as the oxy-pots and other bubblers take advantage of this fact, allowing roots to be permanently sat in water and air pumps and stones adding oxygen.

Reduce Watering: Unless hot Santa Ana winds blow through Southern California, you can scale back watering lawns, gardens, trees and shrubs. A well-mulched garden will hold in moisture and reduce the need for watering. To reduce water costs, be sure water timers are shut off when it rains.

Spring Bulbs: Plant daffodils, hyacinth, tulips and crocus bulbs. Planting now should result in flowers in spring. Make sure your soil's clay content doesn't make the soil too dense. Till soil conditioner into the top 12 inches of soil. This should help break up the clay and make the soil more conducive for the bulbs to grow. Plant Drought-Resistant Trees and Shrubs: When planting in cooler fall months, trees and shrubs have the opportunity to establish themselves before summer heat. Avoid frost-sensitive plants and those best suited to summer planting.

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