If you enjoy growing plants in your back yard, balcony or garden like I do, autumn’s a tricky time. You might well have some great flowers still, especially this year as September was so warm, and the changing colours and misty mornings are lovely in themselves. But there is something special about the excitement of spring with its prospect of new life to come, that autumn with its darker nights and brown colour just doesn’t have. I know some people prefer this time of year, but as you can probably tell, I’m a spring person!

So to inject a bit of that new-growth feeling into October and November I need to do some planting outside. One of the easiest things to do is to plant some bulbs which will flower next spring. The dry onion-like bulbs you see in shops and garden centres now, actually contain a flower stem and leaves -  a whole new plant is packed away in there – what a great storage solution! By planting daffodils, tulips and crocuses now, their roots will get a chance to grow through the winter so you’ll see green leaves poking through early next year and have flowers in spring.

You don’t need a garden to do this, you can use containers and pots   and they can stay outside on your balcony or backyard whatever the weather. And because bulbs are energy stores themselves, they don’t need rich compost or soil so you can re-use compost. I’ll be re-using the compost from the slightly unhappy tomato plants I grew in pots this summer. If you do buy compost, please make sure its peat free.

Crocuses are often the very first flowers of spring and they are a great source of pollen and nectar for bees and other insects flying on sunny days in February and March. Apparently purple crocus flowers are the most popular with the bees!

By the way, if you live in a big squirrel area like I do, I recommend you cover your newly planted bulb containers with mesh or a similar cover to let the rain and light through, but which won’t let the squirrels in. Bulbs are a very popular menu choice for squirrels, and they are persistent in trying to dig them up from pots near my back door. Last autumn I covered my bulb pots with two or three layers of garden mesh, tucked it underneath the pots and weighed it down with bricks, which did keep the squirrels out!

As autumn progresses into winter and the leaves come off the trees, it’s time to plant trees and shrubs in your garden. If you have enough space, please do think about planting a tree for wildlife - it will bring birds and insects and joy into your garden and help provide a vital habitat link to your local street trees, park or greenspace. Holly, Rowan, Hawthorn and Crab Apple all have spring flowers attracting bees and butterflies, and autumn berries or fruits for the birds.

If you don’t have space for a tree, then smaller shrubs and bushes will also provide lots of nature-friendly food and shelter. Currant bushes, Honeysuckle, Lavender and Ivy will help create a wildlife haven in your yard or garden though the seasons, and autumn is the time for planning and planting, Follow this link to find out how to make a shrub garden for wildlife.

If you take photos of your autumn planting project, please share them with us on social media using the hashtags: #MyWildCity and #MyWildGarden.