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Monty Don’s productive raised beds have prompted a reminder that October can still be a useful month for growing food. Gardening expert Christopher O’Donoghue says gardeners can sow peas, salad leaves and broad beans, plant garlic and onions, and consider bare-root fruit trees and bushes. The source does not give the date of Don’s social media post or quantify the cost savings home growing might bring.
Monty Don’s raised vegetable beds, shown in a photo shared on Instagram, are being used as a reminder that growing food does not have to stop in October. An Ideal Home report says the beds appear to contain cauliflowers, brassicas and other leafy vegetables, while gardening expert Christopher O’Donoghue lists crops that can still be sown or planted as the weather cools.
O’Donoghue, director of the gardening business Gardens Revived, recommends sowing peas, salad leaves and broad beans in October. He also suggests planting garlic and onions, and making space for kale and cauliflower to provide vegetables through colder weather. His advice is general guidance; the source does not specify a location, growing conditions or varieties for every crop.
For gardeners looking beyond vegetables, O’Donoghue says autumn is a good time to plant bare-root fruit trees and bushes. He names apples, pears, blackberries and gooseberries as possibilities for gardeners hoping for future harvests. The source offers no planting schedule or guarantee of when individual plants will produce fruit.
Don also recommends tending raised beds as they become clear. In a post on his blog, he suggests adding about an inch of garden compost to cleared beds and leaving worms to work it into the soil over winter. For gardeners choosing just one crop, he recommends sowing ‘Aquadulce’ broad beans outdoors, with a potential early harvest the following May or June.
October Sowing Can Extend the Season
The advice counters the idea that the vegetable-growing season ends with summer. For readers with suitable space and conditions, a small amount of autumn sowing or planting can keep a garden productive and provide ingredients in later months. Don’s beds offer a visible example, while O’Donoghue’s recommendations identify practical options for people deciding what to grow now.
The report also connects home growing with household food costs, saying even a handful of vegetables, salad leaves or herbs may make a welcome contribution. It does not claim that a garden can replace a weekly shop or provide a measured saving. The likely value depends on what a gardener grows, the space available and how well plants establish.
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Advice From Don’s Raised Beds
The Ideal Home report frames Don’s Instagram photograph as a timely example of autumn productivity. The image is described as showing raised beds with cauliflowers, brassicas and leafy greens; it is not presented as a formal planting guide or as evidence that every October crop will succeed in every garden.
Alongside the image, the report gives seasonal suggestions from O’Donoghue and refers to Don’s blog advice on compost and broad beans. It also notes other autumn garden tasks, including planting winter flowers and overwintering dahlias, but its central focus is the opportunity to continue growing food rather than putting the garden away until spring.
“October is a great time to keep growing your own, rather than packing everything away until spring.”
— Christopher O’Donoghue, director of Gardens Revived, as quoted by Ideal Home
Growing Results Depend on Conditions
The source does not state when Don shared the Instagram image, where the beds are located or what varieties are growing in them. It also does not provide information on local weather, soil, planting dates or other conditions that could affect whether the suggested crops establish successfully.
The article’s food-cost point is presented as a possible benefit, not a quantified saving. It gives no comparison of seed, plant or equipment costs with shop prices, and does not estimate the amount of produce a home gardener could harvest. The precise availability of suitable plants and seeds is also not specified.
Gardeners Can Plan Autumn Planting
Readers considering the advice can check which crops suit their garden and local conditions, then choose among sowing peas, salad leaves or broad beans, planting garlic or onions, or preparing space for fruit trees and bushes. Those with cleared raised beds can follow Don’s suggestion to add a layer of compost and leave it over winter.
The next milestone described in the source is a possible broad bean harvest in May or June. No follow-up from Don or further details on the photographed beds are provided, so the report’s recommendations remain seasonal guidance rather than a forecast of particular harvests.
Key Questions
Is October too late to grow vegetables?
Not necessarily. The report says peas, salad leaves and broad beans can still be sown in October, while garlic and onions are other options. Success will depend on local conditions and how crops are grown.
What does Monty Don recommend sowing in October?
In blog advice cited by Ideal Home, Don recommends sowing ‘Aquadulce’ broad bean seeds outdoors for a possible early harvest in May or June.
What can gardeners do with raised beds before winter?
Don’s advice, as reported by Ideal Home, is to add about an inch of garden compost to beds as they become clear and leave it for worms to work into the soil over winter.
Can fruit trees and bushes be planted in autumn?
O’Donoghue says October is a good time to plant bare-root fruit trees and bushes, including options such as apples, pears, blackberries and gooseberries. The report does not specify varieties or guarantee harvest dates.
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