Gardening

Edition Eighteen - September 2007

It had to happen; the very early spring, which saw our trees in blossom a full six weeks earlier than normal, seems to have brought us an early end to summer, such as it was.. Here we are, as I write this towards the end of August, apparently in the throes of Autumn, with leaves starting to fall, and miserable weather.. And yet, a rhododendron shrub is just coming into flower for the second time this year, which is something I have never seen before!

It's been an easy summer for gardeners though, because apart from not having to water the garden, there really hasn't been a lot to do out there. Despite the slugs eating many of my plants and the rain battering down summer bedding plants, the garden does look green and lush. When did you ever see your lawn look so green in August?

I was reminded how the dreaded toxic Ragwort seems to have sprung up everywhere this year, by  this article  in a daily paper.

Jobs for the month - September

House plants

Reduce watering this month as growth slows down. On a warm day, give houseplants a spray to clean their leaves; do this either outside with your hosepipe, or in the bath with a tepid shower. (Not hairy-leaved plants though, which need gently brushing to clean off any debris and dust, preferably with a small paint brush)

Enjoy the beautiful scent of hyacinths this Christmas, by potting up prepared bulbs in September/October. They are readily available and easy to grow in just a few months. To have hyacinths in flower for the Christmas period, make sure you buy bulbs labelled 'prepared' and plant them in September and early October. Check instructions carefully when you buy them because each cultivar has different timing requirements.

Lawns

It's time for an Autumn Weed & Feed if you can find a dry spell for the application! There are some weeds that aren't killed off with this treatment, one of which is Lesser Trefoil, growing abundantly in our lawn. I have had to buy a separate weed killer to zap it.. 

Raise the height on your lawn mower this month.

Herbaceous borders

Continue dead-heading, weeding and hoeing to keep the borders looking neat.  Cut down perennial plants that  have finished flowering. Plant Wallflowers, Sweet William and winter flowering pansies, for winter greenery and spring colour. Take cuttings this month from semi-ripe stems on any shrub you want to increase.. Geraniums I think do better if kept dry and stored overwinter in a greenhouse, then used as stock plants for spring cuttings..

Vegetables

Too much wet and cold weather hasn't done the veggies any good this year.. If you made a late sowing of Salad Leaves or Dwarf Beans last month it would be wise to cover them now with a cloche. I have mine in pots which I have brought into the greenhouse for warmth.. Local farmer friends predict we will be getting lots of our vegetables from abroad this winter.

Ponds  

Reduce the amount of food you feed your fish this month and continue removing blanket weed which, due to lack of sunshine, hasn't been too prolific this year. Tidy pond plants that have started to die down.

Wildlife

I saw two foxes in our garden this week! Caught in the beam of a security light, they walked briskly along a path, side by side.. They looked fit and young so I assumed they were newly weaned cubs. Foxes provide entertainment for our dogs who flush them out of the borders and ensure they don't get too comfortable in our garden! We live in a fairly rural area and do get a good assortment of furry visitors, which we enjoy watching, but we don't feed them - apart from the birds that is - as this would encourage rats...  Plenty of food should be made available for the birds from now until the spring.  

Happy gardening till next month....

RHS Flower Shows 2007

Tickets for RHS members

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