Windy conditions courtesty of Storm Aidan has yielded a lot of fallen leaves and in this final programme for 2020 Paraic discusses using leaf litter over the coming weeks to start or add to composting. It's almost November – a month to propogate, plant and protect. There's advice on taking cuttings, sowing bare root hedging and protecting tender plants from cooler temperatures and nighttime frosts. Apple, pear, plum and cherry trees can all be planted now. It's also a time to clean out greenhouses and polytunnels, divide plants such as hostas, and plant up bulbs either in the ground or in pots as they generally won't last the winter season in bags. Listeners questions included moving and caring for camelias, dealing with large groups of millipedes, spraying for blackspot on escallonia, using Zero to remove moss from apple trees and tips on getting rid of ivy. In addition, there's advice on companion planting potatoes and mustard seed to help control wire worm, growing orange trees in Ireland, pollinating mulberry trees, and overwintering lillies, begonias and dahilas.

As new Level 5 restrictions come into effect this week's programme looks at the impact of those restrictions on garden centres and Paraic outlines the measures being taken to maintain safety over the coming weeks. While official wintertime commences now there are still lots of opportunities for planting up in advance of Spring. Elephant garlic, a perennial variety of this flavourful bulb, and herbs can all be sown now for Christmas harvest. For those looking to introduce some colour to pots and containers Paraic recommends mixing winter heathers with ornamental cabbage and cyclamen for instant impact, and he gives a timely reminder about feeding wild birds. There's advice on pruning back fruit trees, planting compact pampas grass, growing silver broom and trimming back hostas and lupins. Listeners questions feature overwintering rhubarb, strawberries, gladioli and begonias, moving hydrangea, using wood ash on plants, replanting alstromeria, the care of amaryllis and planting veg in polytunnels.

Autumn colour is really vibrant this year and in this programme Paraic explains the science on how the drop in temperatures affects plant sugars creating this annual visual display. There is a reminder of key garden tasks that can be done right now, and a look at some alium vegetables including onions, garlic and shallots that can all be planted during October. There's winter colour on offer from winter heathers and hellebores which can be underplanted with spring bulbs. Viburnum also provides colour during the darker winter months, and wallflowers and tulips provide great companion planting options for spring. Paraic advised on the practicalities of pruning and looked at evergreen as well as deciduous plants for those wishing to cut back and tidy up shrubs and trees both big and small. Listeners questions include planting blackcurrants from pots, ground covering perrenials for seaside locations, planting lavedner, moving pyracantha, the advantages and benefits of raised beds and the care of bayleaf standards.

Autumn planting is highly advisible for hedging and for those who are planning a hedge right now this week's programme highlights the importance of selecting the right type of plant to suit the particular location. Paraic gives some excellent tips on matching different hedges with different environments and he emphasises the benefit of putting hedging plants in now thereby allowing them to get established over the winter months. Tulip planting is another key task to focus on at the moment and Paraic discussed some of the different varieties avaialable. There's information on repotting houseplants, planting carrots in raised beds, growing potato vines, pruning back blackberries and sowing lilies. Listeners questions in this programme include saving geraniums for next year, splitting mother-in-laws tongue, building a walipini (sunken greenhouse) in Ireland, treatment of nostuck, pruing back mop head hydrangeas, moving a bed of carpet roses and overwintering angels wing plants.

Cooler temperatures mean gardens are slipping into autumn and revealing some super autumn colours. Paraic encouraged listeners to take advantage of the reasonably good weather over the weekend to get lawns trimmed and fed and to plant some bulbs for spring colour in pots, containers and lawn areas. He discussed cutting back, dividing and replanting hostas and sowing hardy annuals from seeds. There was information on planting herbs for Christmas, treating moss on hard surfaces, transplanting bottle brush and setting pixie cabbage out of doors. Listeners questions included problems with yellowing grass, briars growing through hedging, harvesting potatoes and carrots, sowing lupins for next year, treating apple scab and codley moth, overwintering saliva and how to grow tree ferns.

The programme this week opened with a reminder about bulb planting for spring, and featured some of the vegetables that can be sown from seed at the moment including broad beans. Conditions over the weekend are perfect for tidying up lawns. The recent night frosts have started to impact any remaining tender bedding plants so Paraic had lots of advice on what to do to get the garden winter ready. There was also a reminder about the benefits of green manure - Paraic highlighted red clover as both a great way to add nutrition to the soil while also being excellent for pollinators. There were features on miscanthus grass, echium plants and bromeliad guzmania. Other topics this week included saving and sowing seeds of marigolds over the winter period, native trees suitable for a small garden, lifting and storing carrots and potatoes, and protecting cabbage and broccoli in frosty weather. Questions from listeners featured gorwing poinsettias, problems with apple scab, taking cuttings from salvia, moving silver birch, controlling bindweed and harvesting pumpkins.

Weather conditions have been perfect for planting vegetables recently and on this week's programme Paraic discussed sowing broccoli, cabbage, spinach and a variety of other seeds directly out of doors. It's also a super time to plant wildflower seed and lawn seed, particularly if there are areas for patching. Paraic's advice on bulb planting lasagne style generated lots of interest – this layering method results in super colour through winter and into mid spring. It's also a great time for planting climbers as plants have time to develop a strong root system and become established for next year. Questions this week included improving soil quality for forest flame, recommendations for grave planting in windy areas, tidying up and companion planting hostas, dwarf trees for courtyard areas and tips for preparing ground when sowing wildflower seed.

As autumn kicks into gear the programme this week looked at planting up bulbs for the coming year - Paraic highlighted japanese onion sets and garlic for vegetable lovers and for those looking for winter/spring colour there was information on winter achonites, crocus bulbs, frittalaria, aliums, and old favourites such as daffodils and tulips. Paraic also discussed the harvesting and planting of fruit at this time with blueberries, blackcurrants and the less common honeyberry and malus all featuring with recomendations on numbers and varieties of plants. There were tips on creatuing and protecting small bird feeders, how to take cuttings, dividing strawberry plants and the difference between polytunnels and polycarbon greenhouses. Listeners questions featured replanting roses, identifying old varieties of apple trees, root fly on lettuce, cracks in pear trees, what to sow in the veggie pod for winter and planting common lilac.

The autumn season returned with a look back at some of the gardening trends over the summer and a look ahead to what the garden offers for the months of September and October. Paraic discussed some projects for schools now that they are back in action. There was information on setting up wildlife stations, biodiversitiy areas and growing your five-a-day to interest younger gardeners. Hydrangeas were also centre stage this week with lots of questions on flowering trends, cutting back and propogating these much loved showstoppers. Frost hardy perennials, transplanting rhubarb, lawn damage from dogs and cutting back blackcurrant and gooseberry bushes all featured this week, while listener questions included treating blackspot on hedges, planting in polytunnels now, sowing tulips bulbs from last year, repotting orchids, and boron deficiency in swedes and turnips.

In our final programme for the Spring/Summer season Paraic reminded listeners about treating for blight on foot of a warning issued by Met Eireann. As growth continues during July and August it's important to keep plants fed, particulary those in full flower and to deadhead those coming to an end. Many lawns are yellow and hungry right now so feeding is recommended, and for those interetested in sowing seeds for next year conditions are currently ideal for germination. Paraic looked at climbers such as Clematis, Ivy and Virginia Creeper, discussed the management of broccoli and spinach going to seed and reminded about the efficacy of nematodes as a treatment for soil borne pests such as leatherjackets. Listeners questions included the care of orchids, pruning back blackcurrants, trees that grow in a columnar shape, rolling lawns, the use of Epsom Salts on roses, growing and transplanting peas and the management of outdoor geraniums for long lasting flowers.