A Beginner’s Guide to Autumn Colour and Spring Bulbs

WRITTEN BY SOPHIE VALENTINE

October is a beautiful month to be out in your garden. The air is crisp, your garden becomes more golden as the leaves are turning, and there’s still plenty of life and colour to enjoy. For beginner gardeners—especially those gardening on a budget—this is the perfect time to add shrubs and perennials to your flower beds, refresh pots and containers, and plan ahead for a beautiful display in spring.

The beauty of October gardening is that it’s about maintenance, planting, and putting in the hard work now so that we are rewarded in spring.  It can seem overwhelming if you have lots to do so I am going to break it down into key jobs you can get done in October.

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Garden Jobs for October

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2. Composting

October is the perfect time to be composting your garden waste from the year.  If you haven’t got a compost bin yet then Primrose has a fantastic range of bins to suit every budget and garden.  There is nothing better than turning your garden waste (that often you pay to be taken away) into free compost.  

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3. Dividing Perennials

Dividing clumps of perennials is a brilliant, budget-friendly way to fill your garden for free. Plants like nepeta, sedums, and geraniums can be dug up, split into smaller sections, and replanted around the garden. Not only do you get more plants, but it also reinvigorates older clumps.  October can be the month we have lots of gaps to fill in the borders for next year. 

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4. Adding Autumn Colour

October is when your garden can really shine with fiery reds, oranges, and golds. Adding a few shrubs or perennials now will give you instant colour and structure:

• Shrubs & Trees: Try acer (Japanese maple) for fiery leaves, cornus (dogwood) for fiery stems, or euonymus alatus (spindle) for bright red autumn leaves.
  
• Perennials: Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’, asters, and chrysanthemums are reliable choices that flower well into autumn.
  
• Evergreens: Don’t forget plants that provide structure through winter, like skimmia, pittosporum, or Ilex.

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Refreshing Pots and Containers

October is when your garden can really shine with fiery reds, oranges, and golds. Adding a few shrubs or perennials now will give you instant colour and structure:

• Cyclamen – Cheerful blooms in pinks, reds, and whites.
  
• Hellebores – Also known as Christmas roses, they’ll flower through winter into early spring.
  
• Ferns – Add texture and greenery that looks good all year.
  
• Ivy – Great for trailing over the edges of pots.
  
• Heather – Hardy and colourful, especially in shades of pink and purple.
  
• Seasonal Bedding Plants – Think pansies, violas, and primroses, which thrive in cooler weather.

A mix of these will keep your containers bright and welcoming right through until spring.

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All About Bulbs

One of the most exciting October garden jobs is planting bulbs. Think of bulbs as a little investment now that pays off handsomely in spring.

Buying and Planting Bulbs

• When to plant: Most spring bulbs can be planted from September to November, but tulips are best left until November (or even December) once the soil has cooled. Planting too early increases the risk of tulip fire, a fungal disease.
  
• Budget tip: Bulbs are one of the cheapest ways to fill a garden with flowers. Buy in bulk or look for “mixed collections” to save money.

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Popular Bulbs to Order Now

• Crocus – Early blooms that appear as early as February.
  
• Iris reticulata – Jewel-like flowers in purples and blues, perfect for pots.
  
• Daffodils – Cheerful and reliable, they naturalise well and come back every year.
  
• Tulips – Wide range of colours; plant later in the season.
  
• Alliums – Architectural globes that appear in late spring and early summer.
  

Planning for Six Months of Flowers

If you want continuous colour from February through to July, stagger your bulb choices:

• February/March: Snowdrops, Crocus, iris.
  
• March/April: Early daffodils, hyacinths, anemones.
  
• April/May: Tulips, fritillaria, muscari (grape hyacinth).
  
• May/June: Alliums, late tulips.
  
• June/July: Lilies, gladioli.
  

With careful planning, your garden can have something in bloom for half the year.

Naturalising Bulbs

If you’d like bulbs that return and spread naturally, look for:

• Daffodils – Particularly small varieties like ‘Tête-à-Tête’.
  
• Crocus – Lovely in lawns or at the base of trees.
  
• Snowdrops – A classic for shady spots.
  
• Bluebells – Perfect for natural woodland settings.
  
• Camassia – Tall, starry flowers that thrive in damp soil.
  

Plant these in drifts or groups for a natural look, and you’ll enjoy bigger displays each year.

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