"Plan it, plant it this autumn" - that's the latest message from the Horticultural Trades Association, which is hoping to tap into younger consumers' growing interest in gardening and ensure they're kept busy year-round.
A wide range of autumn gardening activities is highlighted in the campaign, including lawn care, planting, autumn bedding, trees, fruits and wild bird care. The aim is to help extend the season as much as possible and encourage people to garden through autumn and plan for spring.
The group is trying to increase awareness that the garden is not dormant over the winter - recent research commissioned by the HTA revealed that 41% of gardenes mistakenly believe that fruit trees and berries should be planted in spring. A further 45% believe spring bulbs should also be planted at this time, when in fact autumn is the key time to do both.
The HTA said: "Autumn is also an important time for lawn care, with gardeners looking to prepare their lawns to make it through the difficult winter months and ensure that it is looking its best come the spring."
The media campaign will include information releases about key themes for autumn gardening, as well as a website dedicated towards the campaign. This will include garden centre event listings.
The HTA is encouraging all garden retailers, growers and suppliers to get in touch and share their plans for autumn gardening to increase the impact of the campaign.