Rain, wind and cloud characterise the weather this month, which is sometimes the wettest of the year. But there is often an Indian summer about the middle of the month, when a short spell of mellow anticyclonic weather similar to that of September occurs. In such weather it is much calmer and drier, but at night fog is more likely than in September.

South to south-westerly winds arriving with a depression usually bring long periods of cool and widespread rain that is especially heavy against the hills of the west; afternoon temperatures average 16-18C (61-64F) in south-east England, but are considerably lower in Northern scotland. Fresh west to north-west winds often follow, with scattered showers and, in the east, sunny periods; afternoon temperatures in the south-east average 13C (55F). The first air frost of the winter usually occurs this month.

The end of October and the beginning of November form one of the most consistently stormy periods of the year. Gales and rain sweep across the country, and outdoor work, is severely restricted, especially on heavier land. The ground is approaching saturation point, and heavy or continuous rain can bring autumn floods to valley areas.

Every opportunity must be taken in fine October weather to carry out autumn digging. Soil which is dug over early in the autumn gets the maximum benefit from the winter frosts, and is broken down into good condition for spring planting.

Lawns:

• New Lawns Mow when 3 in. high. Roll to firm seedlings if loose.
• Established Lawns. Remedy defective drainage and lay new drains if necessary. Aerate, scarify, hollow-tine and treat with autumn fertiliser.
• Turfing. Prepare weed free turf bed, allow to settle, and rake in fertiliser. Select turf of adequate quality. Lay turves as soon as possible after delivery, making sure that they are uniform thickness. Begin laying turves from corner of plot, bonding them like bricks, Finally, trim all edges evenly.

Roses

• Prepare new rose beds for planting, digging well and mixing in plenty of fertilising material. Continue to spray against greenfly and fungus.

Hardy Herbaceous Plants

• Begin planting herbaceous perennials.
• Transplant plants needing moving.
• Tidy beds and borders, remove dead heads and keep down seedling weeds.
• Divide old clumps of perennials and replant the vigorous outer shoots.
• Dig groung for march planting to weather during winter.
• Dig over old borders which need a complete overhaul. Remove turf from site chosen for new bed, using it to rot down into potting soil

Dahlias

• Cut down the top growth of dahlias as soon as it is blackend by frost, then lift dahlias carefully with a fork.
• Stand tubers upside down in a frost-free place to dry out, then place them in boxes and cover them with very slightly damp peat after dusting the crowns with flowers of sulphur.
• Store in a frost free greenhouse or shed for the winter.
• Examine the tubers several times during the winter. If they are shrivelled, plunge them in a bucket of tepid water overnight to make them plump again.
• Remove seeds from seed pods and store in matchboxes until sowing time in march.

Chrysanthemums

• Over winter plants by leaving then in the garden; or lift them, bedding them in a cold frame or housing them them in the greenhouse
• Under Glass Ventilate well, but give gentle heat if necessary. Water Sparingly. Treat agains mildew if necessary. Disbud late flowering varieties. Cease feeding large exhibition and incurved varieties when they show colour.

Gladioli

• Lift corms before the winter frosts, cutting off all but 1/2 in. of stem and placing in a dry, airy place. When dry, store the clean corms in trays or shallow boxes.

Irises

• Tidy bearded iris beds before winter. Remove dead leaves and weeds and trim longer leaves by a quarter.
• Under Glass Complete planting of bulbous irises in pots

Lilies

• Plant as many of your lilies as possible. Allow lily stems to die down naturally. Lift some lily bulbs from the garden and pot up to grow as pot plants; plunge them 4in. deep in ashes.
• Under Glass Bring newly potted lilies wanted for forcing into the greenhouse three months before flowers are required.

Carnations and Pinks

• Plant border carnations and pinks in beds prepared earlier, except in districts with heavy soil, where they should be kept in pots in a cold frame until march.
• Prepare beds for spring planting.
• Continue cutting away layers of border carnations.
• Stop modern pinks.
• Clear leaves and rubbish from around stems. Protect plants against birds, using black cotton.
• In mild spells firm soil around plants lifted by frost.
• Underglass: Maintain a temperature of 7C (45F) for perpetual flowering carnations, and give some ventilation at all times. Water and feed sparingly. Cut blooms and disbud flower stems. Take action against pests and diseases.

Sweet Peas

• Sow sweet peas in the open ground if desired.
• Under glass: Sow sweet peas under glass in pots or boxes, treating them beforehand with a propietary fungicide dressing . Place the pots or boxes in a cold frame and remove the lights when the seedlings appear.

Flowers from seed

• Remove annuals befor they becom bedraggled. Plant out biennials and herdy perennials raised from seed.

Bulbs

• Complete bulb planting. Hoe beds of daffodils or spray with a contact herbicide to control weeds. Follow with a recidual herbicide.
• Indoors and under glass. Lift half-hardy summer flowering bulbs and dry as quickly as possible. Store them in a cool frost free, dry place in shallow boxes. Examine forced bulbs in bowls and water if fibre is dry.

Alpines

• Plant seedlings or rooted cuttings this month, except for pot grown plants, which can go in at any time.
• Water plants if soil is dry.
• Renew writing on labels.
• Scatter slug pellets in damp weather.

Water Plants and Pools

• Thin out under water oxygenated plants and remove old water lily leaves.
• If the water appears dark, drain off half of it and replace with fresh.
• Remove old leaves and debris from the bottom.
• Plant waterside plants in the bog garden. Continue feeding fish as long as they are eating.

Greenhouses and frames

• Bring plants into the greenhouse from cold frames. Reduce watering and dampen down.
• Fumigate houses where tomatoes have contracted fungus diseases.
• Thin out shoots of greenhouse climbers. Line the greenhouse of polythene sheeting to conserve heat.
• Leave a little ventilation permanently where an oil heater is used.
• Gradually dry off cannas.
• Control slugs with pellets.
• Close frames at night against sudden frosts.

Trees and Shrubs

• Start planting deciduous trees and shrubs towards the end of the month, but avoid frosty or wet conditions. Unite plants arriving from nurseries during inclement weather and stand them in a dry shed, protecting their roots with straw or sacking. Plant scrambling plants as ground cover. Stake standard trees.
• Propagation Take hardwood cuttings of Buddleia davidii forsythia and philadelphus, inserting them in sandy soil in a cold frame or in the open. Layer shoots of daphne cneorum and fothergilla in pots of peaty loam plunged round the parent plants. Separate and replant rooted suckers of poplar, forsythia and Rhus typhina. Divide and re-plant Euonymus fortunei and spiraea.
• Pruning Cut back well trained hibiscus after flowering.

Rhododendrons and Azaleas

• Prepare ground for planting and plant new bushes. Feed plants which are not making healthy growth with peat, leaf mould and well rooted manure. Spray buds with a bird deteant.

Hedges

• Prepare hedge sites, if not already done. Plant evergreens as soon as they are recieved, though deciduous plants may be heeled in. Complete planting evergreens by the middle of the month.

Heathers

• Lightly fork ground prepared for planting then set the plants soaking their roots if they are dry. Plants delivered in weather unsuitable for planting should be put close together in trays of peat, until planting is possible.

Fruit

• Order fruit trees and bushes for Autumn delivery.
• Prepare planting sites, breaking up the subsoil to ensure good drainage. Work fertiliser into the soil while digging. Ground previously occupied by fruit should be chemically sterilised.
• Control weeds around established trees. Put grease bands round apple and cherry trees to catch winter moths.
• Pick and store apples and pairs as they mature,
• Cut out fruited blackberry and loganberry canes and train in new shoots.
• Spray cherries, peaches and nectarines.
• Take gooseberry cuttings. Pick autumn-fruiting strawberries.

Vegetables

• In the south plant out spring cabbages.
• Pick and take indoors the last of the tomatoes.
• Plant winter and spring lettuces.
• Cut remaining marrows and store in a dry place.
• Clear away pea and bean haulm and dig vacant ground.
• Lift beetroot and store in a clamp covered with straw. In the north set out Brussels sprout plants in a nursery bed.

Herbs

• Take more cuttings of bay, lavendar and rue, putting them in pots of sand in a cold frame. Divide clumps of chives in mild weather. Divide roots of mint replanting some and potting others to grow in a greenhouse. Dig up fennel and place in boxes of peat to force in a cool greenhouse.

Patios and Town Gardens

• Remove plants that are past their best.
• Pot up tender plants and bring indoors.
• Move trees and shrubs in containers to a less exposed position, or protect with straw or bracken.
• Plant containers with dwarf conifers, heathers and skimmias and underplant with bulbs.

House Plants

• Soak newly acquired plants in a bucket of water.
• Place plants where they will be warm but not subject to direct hea; where they will get plenty of light but be out of draughts. Keep them away from from frosty windows at night.

General Tasks

• Remove summer bedding plants soon enough to plant spring bedding and get it established before severe weather begins.
• Do not manure flower borders at this time of year, but give a dressing of bonemeal.
• Spread a net over a garden pool to catch fallen leaves, lifting this off every week or two.
• Rotting leaves produce poisonous gases which maykill fish during the winter. Clear fallen leaves from rock plants and lawns. Stack them to decompose.