Edition Thirty - September 2008

Summer hasn't been too kind to us in the UK but the countryside looks lush with all the rain we've had, and there has been a bumper crop from the vegetable garden..

There is a misconception that vegetables can only be grown for summer consumption, but we have laid out a winter supply of swede, leeks, onions carrots, sprouts and parsnips, together with potatoes of course.. We've also filled our freezers with soft fruit such as blackcurrants, raspberries, gooseberries, rhubarb and blackberries.. Come the cold months we can literally enjoy the fruits of our labour..

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I found a little book recently called 'The Accidental Gardener's Almanac' which I loved so much I wrote to the Publishers asking for, and receiving permission to quote parts of it for you, from time to time.. 

The book would make a wonderful Christmas or birthday present for your gardening friends or relations..

Jobs for the month - September

Houseplants

Houseplants that have spent the summer outside should now come in, before you have to start heating your home. This gives them a chance to adjust. Wash them thoroughly before bringing them in to rid them of any pests and eggs they might have attracted.

Bulbs.

The shops and garden centres are full of spring bulbs now.. Plant them as long as the ground is workable. Tulips are the last bulbs you can plant, up to the end of December.. 

Lawns

The warm and wet summer has meant that not only is grass green and lush, but many of you will have fairy rings appearing on your lawn.. I had the same problem and eliminated them by first deep forking the area, then liberally soaking it with diluted fairy liquid water (as in the washing up water) two or three times a week...

Greenhouse

When all the crops are finished, clean out the greenhouse thoroughly. I usually recommend sterilisation or fumigation in the spring, before starting the new season crops.. But while the greenhouse is empty, check it out for repair and maintenance jobs, or a coat of paint if it is wooden.

Hedges

You should make the final cut or light trim by now. There will be no new growth to hedges such as privet after September..

Fruit and veg

September is a busy month, when you reap the rewards of your labour.. Harvest your crops of fruit and vegetables on a warm, dry day (if you can find one!) and store them in a cool dry place, or according to your gardening book instructions.. Take the opportunity to check fruit trees and bushes for signs of disease and treat accordingly.

Flowers for cutting

Keep cutting flowers for the house, to encourage further late blooms. Those annual plants that have finished, such as sweet peas, can be pulled out and put on the compost heap.

Herbaceous plants

All perennial plants that have now finished flowering can either be cut down or left until the spring. I prefer to cut them down as it makes for a tidy winter garden, but foliage, whether it be dead or alive, helps keep the garden warmer over winter, so it can be left if you can bear the unsightliness of it.

Ponds and water features

Clean up aquatic plants that are starting to die back, taking care not to disturb any frogs or fish fry that might be tangled up in them.

Clean water features of algae and switch off the electricity and water for the winter months, if you have finished in the garden for the season. Some people like to cover their concrete water features with polythene to prevent frost damage..

Wildlife

It's time to start feeding the birds once more, and taking note of any other wildlife that enters your garden: you might have more mouths to feed than you thought! This year I grew large Sunflowers, the heads of which I shall hang from a tree outside my kitchen window for the birds to feed on over winter.. A squirrel has already found and eaten one of the smaller ones in the garden, so the birds will have some competition

If you like birds, here is the website for you...

Index to previous editions of Age-Net gardening column here

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Some web sites of interest to gardeners:

www.edenproject.com 

The living theatre of plants and people
The Eden Project is a gateway into the world of plants and people. A meeting place for all to discover how we depend on plants and how we can help to manage and conserve them for our mutual survival.

www.carryongardening.co.uk

Gardening is an important part of many people's lives. You don't have to give up gardening because of accident or illness, the onset of disability or the problems associated with growing older. The information on their website is designed to provide you with the information to Carry on Gardening. Carry on Gardening was initiated by the horticultural charity Thrive and is funded by the National Lottery Charities Board.  It brings together information on easy ways of gardening gathered over 23 years by Thrive and research carried out since the early 1970s by Mary Marlborough Centre, Oxford, on tools and equipment for disabled and older people.

www.alantitchmarsh.com

Alan Titchmarsh MBE, TV gardener, writer, broadcaster and thoroughly nice person. Just a few choice words to describe the peoples` favourite TV gardener. See his website....




Thompson and Morgan

A growing resource for gardeners worldwide. The site includes the international online seed catalogues, the young plants catalogue (UK only), the wholesale seeds catalogue, together with the award winning Germination Times and a host of other useful information.

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And some reading material:-

"The Yellow Book 2006" contains information of all Gardens of England and Wales open for charity, from National Gardens Scheme and is available from all good bookstores throughout the UK priced £7.99. Yellow Book

Index of previous editions

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