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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....
Index to previous editions of Age-Net gardening column here
Tickets for RHS members
Privilege rate tickets are available for RHS members to all RHS shows,
but tickets must be booked in advance. Click on the individual show links
below for further information.
RHS members are not charged a booking fee for tickets purchased except
for advanced tickets to the Malvern shows. To
find out how to become an RHS member click here
****************************
Some web sites of interest to gardeners:
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.
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.
********************
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. http://www.ngs.org.uk/yellow_book.htm
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