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Saturday Morning Garden Jobs – What to Tackle Now

  • Writer: Elliotts of Devon
    Elliotts of Devon
  • Sep 13
  • 3 min read

It’s a beautiful Saturday morning, the air’s getting crisper, and you can smell that slight tang of autumn in the breeze. Before the mornings get frosty (and before the leaves start piling up everywhere), there are a bunch of garden jobs you can do now to tidy up, protect your borders, and set things up nicely for next spring. Pull on your gloves, grab a cuppa, and let’s get gardening.

Many of these tips are inspired by RHS advice and Monty Don’s wisdom.


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Top Jobs for This Weekend

Here are the garden tasks to tackle now while the weather remains reasonable:

1. Harvest & Store What’s Ready

2. Divide Herbaceous Perennials

Some perennials are getting a little crowded or woody. Dividing them helps rejuvenate them, improves flowering, and gives you free plants for other spots. Great choices include heleniums, rudbeckias, Japanese anemones.greenhousestores.co.uk+1

3. Plant Spring Bulbs

Now’s the time to get bulbs like daffodils and hyacinths into the ground. They need the cooler soil and autumn chills to establish roots before winter.greenhousestores.co.uk+2https://www.theenglishgarden.co.uk+2

4. Lawn Maintenance

After the summer, lawns often show wear and tear. Monty Don suggests:

  • Scarify or rake away thatch and moss.

  • Aerate compacted areas.

  • Reseed bare patches.Real Homes+1

5. Collect Seeds & Deadhead Flowers

6. Clean, Tidy & Prepare for Winter

7. Make Leaf Mould / Compost

Monty Don has a clever autumn leaves hack: gather fallen leaves, mow them (chop them up), stack them in a heap and let them break down into leaf mould. Brilliant soil conditioner and great for reducing waste.Ideal Home

Why These Jobs Matter Now

  • Soil is still warm and workable, which helps bulbs, divisions and new plantings establish before winter.

  • Reduce risks: pests, rot, or damage get worse in wet, cold weather, so cleaning up now prevents bigger problems later.

  • Better flowering next year, fewer gaps or weak patches.

  • Garden stays nice now, so while summer’s fading you still enjoy the outdoors.

A Few Tips & Tools to Help

  • Use a garden fork / spade when dividing perennials.

  • Keep gloves, secateurs, shears sharp and clean to prevent spreading disease.

  • Have frost protection supplies ready (fleece, cloches, etc.).

  • Label bulbs / seed packets so you remember what’s what in spring.

Safety & Comfort First

  • Don’t try to do everything in one go—pace yourself.

  • Stay hydrated, and wear suitable footwear.

  • Be gentle with your back; lift less, bend more.

  • If you're on a ladder (for fruit trees etc.), make sure it's stable.

Links & Further Reading

  • RHS “Gardening in September – jobs to do this month” – full monthly checklist and details.RHS+1

  • Monty Don’s Autumn tips, especially his leaf mould trick.Monty Don+1

Conclusion

So this Saturday morning, instead of wondering whether to binge-watch or nap, why not spend a couple of hours in the garden? A handful of well-chosen jobs now will pay off big next spring and make winter a lot less messy. Plus, there’s something satisfying about a garden looking good going into its quieter season.

If you need help with heavier jobs (repairing lawns, digging out big shrubs, moving compost heaps), let us know—our garden maintenance service is ready when you are.

Here’s to a Saturday of fresh air, muddy hands, and a garden that’s ready for whatever autumn brings!

 
 
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