Autumn gardening in Scotland and the Wheel of the Year
Why autumn is the beginning of the gardening year, not the end
A gentle guide to autumn gardening in Scotland, the Wheel of the Year, and seeing the darker months differently.
In October, the evenings start to draw in, the borders begin to fade, leaves drop and stems fold over. For many of us, there's a familiar sadness that comes with this time. And if you are a gardener, there can be an urge to tidy everything away and 'put the garden to bed' for winter.
But in lots of ways I think our cultural narrative is looking at this season the wrong way round.
What if autumn isn't the end of the gardening year at all, but rather, the beginning?
Autumn gardening in Scotland can feel like a race against the weather. In this guide, I want to offer a gentler way of seeing the season, an introduction to the Wheel of the Year, and a little practical advice on what to cut back and what to leave.
Why the nights drawing in can feel so heavy
After my last Instagram post about the nights drawing in, it turned out that quite a lot of you feel it too. Some of you feel a little sad. Some of you feel quietly worried about the dark months ahead.
If that's you, there's nothing wrong with how you feel.
We live in a world that celebrates long, bright days and constant growth. So when the light fades and the garden starts to look tired, it's easy to feel that something is being taken away. But if we look closely, nature can offer us another way of seeing it.
A season of growth, not an ending
In our modern world, we tend to think of this time of year as the end of the season, but the reality is that autumn is actually a really crucial time in the gardening year.
If you look closely it becomes clear that nothing has really stopped, it has simply changed pace.
Plants are setting seed
For many plants, the whole growing season has been leading up to this moment. Flowers fade so that seeds can ripen, and those seeds are what produce next year's flowers. Some will be eaten by birds, some will be carried off by the wind, and some will fall and wait in the soil.
Plants are dying back to regain their energy
As the days shorten, many plants die back. That isn't failure. It's preparation. They're resting so they can regain their energy for spring, and return stronger.
It looks like decline. It's actually regeneration.
Seeds of possibility, quite literally, for the year ahead.
Every seed head still standing in your garden or local park is a small promise. Somewhere in there is next summer's colour, quietly waiting.
Rethinking "putting the garden to bed"
Once you see autumn this way, the pressure to tidy everything away starts to ease.
A garden cut back to bare soil in October might look neat, but it loses a great deal - food for birds, shelter for insects and hibernating animals and protection for the soil.
That doesn't mean you should do nothing at all. By all means tidy up a little, but think about the importance of leaving some structure and shelter - do a little less, with the next season in mind.
What is the Wheel of the Year?
This way of seeing autumn sits at the heart of something called the Wheel of the Year.
You might already be familiar with it. It's a way of looking at the milestones of the year, following the turning of the seasons - it was a series of celebrations practiced in Pagan times. Many of these milestones have found their way into the Christian calendar we know today, including the solstices and equinoxes, Halloween and Christmas.
I'm not a historian, so please take this as a gentle introduction rather than the whole story. The Wheel of the Year is a way of marking the year by what is happening in nature and on the land, instead of by the dates on a calendar (which in my opinion are pretty arbitrary!).
Whenever I talk about the Wheel of the Year with people, whether they know about it or not, they say they really get it. I think that's because it goes back to something we already understand, deep down.
Samhain: the beginning of the year
The next milestone on the Wheel of the Year is Samhain, on the 31st of October - it's what we now know as Halloween.
In the Wheel of the Year, Samhain is traditionally seen as the beginning of the year -not the end.
I love that idea. A year that begins in the darkest part of the season, quietly, when plants are setting seed and resting beneath the soil. It fits so perfectly with what the garden is doing right now.
Living in harmony with nature and the land
The Wheel of the Year goes back to living in harmony with nature and the land, which is exactly what all of our ancestors did.
They didn't need a reminder that plants rest, seeds ripen and the light changes. Their lives depended on noticing.
There's something comforting in that. It means that noticing the seasons isn't a new skill we have to learn. It's an old one we're remembering.
And I wonder if, hopefully, many of us are slowly moving back towards that. Towards noticing the season we're in, and living a little more in step with it.
How to explore the Wheel of the Year for yourself
You don't need to know anything about the Wheel of the Year to enjoy it, and there are no rules.
If you'd like to have a little explore, and see whether it resonates with you, try:
1. Find out where we are on the wheel
Look up the Wheel of the Year and see which milestone is next.
2. Notice what the garden is doing
Spend a few minutes in your garden, or a local park. What's setting seed? What's dying back?
3. Think about what it means to you
Ask yourself whether marking the year this way changes how you feel about the darker months.
4. Look for the beginning
Next time you see a seed head, remember that it's next year, getting ready.
Should you cut back perennials in autumn?
This is one of the questions I'm asked most at this time of year, and the honest answer is: some, but far fewer than you might think.
What to cut back
Plants with diseased or mildewed leaves, so problems don't linger into next year
Soft perennials that collapse into a slimy mush, such as Hostas
Anything flopping over paths or smothering smaller plants
What to leave standing
Plants with strong seed heads, like Rudbeckia, Fennel and Teasel, which feed birds through the winter
Ornamental grasses, which look beautiful in the low winter light
Some hollow stems, where insects can shelter
Everything you leave can be cut back in early spring, just as new growth begins to show.
Autumn gardening questions
What is the Wheel of the Year?
It's a way of looking at the milestones of the year, following the turning of the seasons, including the solstices, the equinoxes and Samhain.
When is Samhain?
Samhain is on the 31st of October. It's what we now know as Halloween, and in the Wheel of the Year it's traditionally seen as the beginning of the year.
Should I cut back perennials in autumn?
Cut back diseased or collapsing plants, but leave strong seed heads and some stems standing until spring. They feed and shelter wildlife.
What seed heads should I leave for birds?
Teasel, Echinacea, Rudbeckia, Fennel, thistles, and ornamental grasses are all good choices.
A different way to see the darker months
Autumn can feel like a season of letting go. And in some ways, it is.
But letting go is part of growth.
The flowers fade so the seeds can form.
The plants rest so they can regain their energy.
The year begins in the dark, quietly, full of possibility.
So as the nights draw in, try seeing them a little differently.
The garden isn't ending. It's beginning again.
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Nicola
Breagha Garden Design
