The garden jobs worth doing now before the clocks go back
It can sometimes feel a bit harsh when the clocks go back. One minute you're pottering around the garden after work and the next you're wondering where the afternoon has gone.
As the evenings get darker and the weather starts to turn, our gardens naturally become a little less of a priority. But there are a few jobs worth getting ahead of before the clocks change, especially if you want your outdoor space to be useful and look tidy through the colder months.
The good news is that you don't need to spend every remaining sunny weekend doing chores. A few small jobs now can make autumn and winter considerably easier.
Make the most of the light
Before the evenings disappear, take a look at the lighting around your garden. Make sure paths, steps and entrances are well lit and check that any outdoor lights are working properly. Solar lights may need repositioning if they're now spending more of the day in shadow, while other lights might simply need a quick clean.
Good lighting isn't just about making the garden look lovely. It makes getting to the shed, bin store or bike shelter after dark much less of an expedition.
Give your garden furniture somewhere to go
Those long summer evenings probably involved a fair amount of sitting outside. Now the cushions are damp, the table has acquired a layer of leaves and nobody has sat on the garden sofa for three weeks.
It can pay to give outdoor furniture a proper clean before storing it away or protecting it for the winter. Cushions and soft furnishings should be kept somewhere dry, while furniture that's staying outside will benefit from a little protection from the worst of the weather.
Give your bikes a proper home
Shorter evenings don't necessarily mean the end of cycling, but they do mean bikes are more likely to be exposed to rain, mud and increasingly miserable weather.
If your bikes are currently leaning against the house, tucked behind the shed or taking up half the hallway, autumn is a good time to rethink their storage. A purpose-built bike shelter keeps bikes protected from the elements while giving them a dedicated, easy-to-access home. Have a browse of the Bluum range for ideas.
Sort out the garden storage
As daylight gets shorter, the last thing you want is to be searching for something in the garden shed at 5pm.
Give your storage a quick sort while you can still see what you're doing. Put frequently used tools somewhere accessible, clear out anything you no longer need and make sure everything that needs to stay dry has somewhere sensible to live.
It's also worth checking your storage itself. Look for leaks, damaged roofing or anything that could become a problem once the weather turns wetter.
Get your logs ready
If you have a wood burner or fire pit, autumn is the time to make sure your firewood is ready for the colder months.
Logs need good airflow and protection from rain, so keeping them in a proper log store helps them stay dry while allowing air to circulate.
It also means you can actually get to your logs when you need them, rather than attempting to retrieve firewood from beneath a precarious pile of garden items in the middle of a downpour.
Give your paths a quick clear
Autumn leaves can be pretty, until they're covering the path you need to walk down. Regularly clearing leaves, twigs and other debris from paths and steps helps keep the garden safer as the weather gets wetter and colder. Pay particular attention to areas that become slippery or shaded.
It is also worth checking drains before the really wet weather arrives. A few minutes with a brush now could save you from a small garden pond appearing accidentally.
Check the bins before the weather turns
Your bins probably aren't something you think about when you're admiring your garden, but they're one of the outdoor essentials that need to work all year round.
Make sure they're positioned securely and that lids close properly before autumn winds arrive. A dedicated bin store can also help keep bins contained, protect them from the elements and make the garden feel considerably tidier. If you've got a living roof, even better. Your bin storage can provide a little extra greenery at a time when the rest of the garden is beginning to wind down.
Getting a few practical jobs done now means you'll be better prepared for shorter days, wetter weather and colder evenings. Then you can shut the shed door, put the kettle on and officially declare yourself ready for autumn.