Going back to work probably doesn’t make you think about your garden or the plants you wish you had at home, but the truth is, if you want to have a nice garden in the next Spring then you are very close to what is considered to be the best time to start planting, especially during October.
Sure, there’s a wide variety of plants and not all have the same demands or preference, the same happens for planting seasons, and then there’s also the regional factors, of course.

Why plant in Autumn?

The answer is quite simple, the days are not as warm, and rain season is about to start soon (so we hope). If you plant now, besides the air humidity and kinder temperatures, your plants will have more time to develop their radicular system, which will make them more resistant in the Summer.
It’s also not too cold yet, which would endanger the plants’ development, and also the fact that soil is neither soaked from the rain or dry like it normally is during the Summer, and this means it’ll be easier to dig and to keep a proper temperature.
This is the time to plant bulbs like lilies, daffodils and tulips, as well as most trees and garden shrubs, like rosemary and laurustinus (Viburnum tinus).
Other plants will prefer to be planted during the Spring, mostly those who bloom in the Summer and are more sensitive to Winter’s frost. If you’re in a colder region it’s only natural that you choose to plant by the end of Winter or during early Spring.

What to plant?

Choose native species, they will adapt better, add to biodiversity and improve the quality of the landscape.
Shrubs like laurel or bird cherry create a great hedge. Rosemary and scorpion vetch will surprise you with their, respectively, lilac and yellow flowers.

Happy planting!

Amália Souto de Miranda,
Landscape Architect