Autumn arrives in Lyme Regis.
After a long and hot summer, autumn brings a change of pace for our gardens and maintenance teams.
The prolonged spells of hot, dry weather have left their mark across the town council’s green spaces, and as temperatures begin to fall, the team will be turning its attention to repairing and protecting our outdoor spaces for the months ahead.
One of the more unusual consequences of this summer’s heat has been cracks appearing in lawns and pathways as the ground dried out.
Our gardens and maintenance team have been busy filling these where necessary, particularly where they could create a trip hazard. Some may naturally close again as wetter weather returns and the ground expands but keeping paths and public areas safe means they cannot simply be left in the meantime.
Please note the step access from the top of Langmoor Gardens to Cobb Road has been closed. Due to the extremely dry summer, the steps have become unsafe for the public to use. There is alternative step-free access.
The exceptionally dry summer has also changed some of our planting plans.
A large bed cleared during winter 2025 had been scheduled for replanting this October. However, following the extreme conditions this summer, the decision has been made to give the ground another winter to recover before planting takes place in spring 2027.
Giving the soil that extra time should provide the new planting with a much healthier start.
October is an ideal time for dividing many herbaceous perennials. Although the air is becoming cooler, there is still warmth in the soil, which gives newly divided plants an opportunity to establish healthy root systems before winter arrives.
Around the gardens, the usual seasonal work will continue too, with weeding, pruning and mulching alongside hedge trimming throughout our gardens and public spaces -with a bit of luck, this should be the hedges’ final haircut of the year.
Scheduled tree works will also take place across several of the council’s green spaces, including the gardens, cemetery and Georges Square.
Of course, autumn also means leaves, and plenty of them as the trees begin shedding their summer canopy. The team will be regularly clearing fallen leaves from lawns, other green spaces and paths.
Leaving a thick covering of leaves on grass over winter blocks light and air from reaching the turf beneath, so collecting them is an important part of keeping our lawns healthy.
But those leaves don’t go to waste. Collected leaves are recycled and allowed to break down into leaf mould, creating a valuable natural mulch which can then be put back into the gardens. It is a simple cycle where what falls from the gardens eventually goes back into helping them grow.
While autumn changes the work happening outdoors, our maintenance team has also spent much of the summer making sure the council’s buildings are ready for whatever the coastal winter throws at them.
External areas of council-owned buildings have been painted as part of the annual maintenance programme, helping to protect them from the elements and prolong their lifespan. Regular preventative maintenance might not always be the most noticeable job, but keeping on top of smaller works can help avoid much larger repairs further down the line.
Once winter arrives, the focus will move indoors, with internal painting and maintenance taking place while conditions outside are less favourable.
The team has also been making improvements to our public facilities, including the installation of new toilet roll dispensers made using recycled materials.
So, while summer bedding begins to fade and Lyme’s green spaces take on their autumn colours, there is still plenty happening behind the scenes. Between repairing the effects of the summer heat to preparing buildings, trees and lawns for winter, looking after Lyme is very much a year-round job.