Expert tips reveal autumn as the best time to work towards the perfect summer garden

dailystar.co.uk:

Experts have revealed how to get the perfect summer garden – by starting work on it in the autumn.Gardening guru, Kate Turner, has shared 20 tips and tricks that will ensure your garden will make the neighbours green with envy by the springtime.The key to an abundant and blooming outdoor space is not neglecting it during colder seasons – spring gardens are made in autumn.Turner’s top tips include planting trees, bulbs, and shrubs, as well a bringing citrus plants indoors, composting old summer annuals and feeding and seeding your lawn before the winter.She also recommends native trees and shrubs as they are most likely to attract wildlife, especially species that have berries and flowers, like holly or mahonia.The tips come after research of 2,000 people who grow plants, commissioned by gardening experts, Miracle-Gro, found 31% are proud of their gardens during spring and summer but let them grow out during autumn and winter.Advice for indoor plants is to feed them less, as the longer dark days kick in, and move them closer to a light source, like a windowsill, while keeping them away from radiators or draughts.To ensure a lush lawn and a thriving garden in summer, sow grass seed, deadhead your plants and protect the soil with mulch during the autumn and winter months.And make the most of a garden during the cooler months by adding vivid colour with plants - chrysanthemums and dahlias will flower up until last frosts, and Scandinavian Hygge style elements, such as fire pits and warm blankets will keep people cosy after the summer ends.Kate Turner for Miracle-Gro said: “There are rumours in the gardening world that say music helps your plants grow, with classical being their favourite - with only 7% of the UK are aware of.