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What To Do In The Garden In September

September 5, 2017 By Jill Anderson 4 Comments

We’re at that time between summer & autumn, when the garden is poised & ready for change, & when a few simple tasks, will make all the difference to the garden next year.

What happens in the garden this month depends on the weather, mild sunshine keeps lots of plants going, but given cooler, wetter weather, the change will happen more quickly.

It’s a good time to trim conifer hedges, they’ll stay neat until next year & new growth have time to toughen up & won’t turn brown withe first frosts. Can I inspire you with beautifully trimmed hedges & topiary from our stay here a couple of weeks ago. It’s the home of garden designer Arne Maynard. I’ll post a blog with even more delicious photos later this month.

What To Do In The Garden In September- topiary at Allt-y-bela garden

September is very much a planning ahead month, there are all sorts of good things to look forward to & an opportunity to make changes where things didn’t work out. Somehow, photos are more revealing about the state of a garden. I look back at them to remind myself of where the gaps are & where more shape or colour is needed.

As early autumn is just the best time to plant trees & shrubs, while the soil is warm & welcoming, it’s a good time to plan & order them. November is when bare-root trees & shrubs become available, they’re much better value than potted ones too.

One of the less glamorous things happening here will be the transferring of home-made compost into the empty bin next to it. It’s one of those satisfying jobs, seeing all the waste turned into rich, dark crumbly compost. The bottom layer will already have decomposed & be ready to be layered over bare soil, the rest of it will be ready next spring.

A thick layer of compost is especially good for vegetable beds, roses & perennial plants, they always perform better & stay healthier in good soil. Buy some in if you haven’t made any or got enough. Local councils often sell recycled garden waste, it’s usually made locally so is better for the environment. It’s piled into great heaps that have high temperatures to kill off weed seedlings, but maybe ask & check?

pink & white tulip flowers

I’m always excited about spring bulbs, especially tulips, for next year. I’m being organised & ordering them this month, I often leave it too late & have a much reduced choice. I’m doing the same with dahlias, order online & they’re delivered at the right time for planting, so you don’t have to nurse them until they’re ready.

R.H.S. Shows here are a great opportunity to buy bulbs straight from the suppliers.

bulbs for sale at the Wisley Flower Show-R.H.S. Wisley Gardens-

A bulb stall at the Wisley Flower Show, which happens to be on this week.

Iris reticulata 'Eye Catcher' flowers-What To Do In The Garden In September

much as I love the basic deep purple ones, these are on my bulb list.

tulip abu hassan flowers

tulips & shrubs

What To Do In The Garden In September-allium spaerocephalum flowers

Peter Nyssen have a good range of bulbs here, or Sarah Raven here, let me know your favourite place to buy bulbs. Find out about courses & events by Arne Maynard here.

Have a good month in the garden.

Jill

all photos: Jill Anderson.

Related posts:

How to plant spring and early summer flowering bulbs. Last minute bulb planting The ingredients for a lovely cottage garden How to grow Dahlias succesfully

Related posts:

How to plant spring and early summer flowering bulbs. Last minute bulb planting The ingredients for a lovely cottage garden How to grow Dahlias succesfully
Filed Under: Blog, Plants, Recycling & Sustainability Tagged With: spring flowering bulbs., what to do in the garden in September

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Comments

  1. Amanda says

    September 5, 2017 at 4:32 pm

    Oh my Sarah Raven tulips were beautiful this year, I’ve saved the bulbs and I’m hoping they give a good display next year too. I’ve got a busy couple of days ahead, I’ve some new plug veg plants arriving from Rocket Gardens, and I really need to clean out my greenhouse ready for some autumn sowing 🙂 xxx

    Reply
    • Jill Anderson says

      September 26, 2017 at 9:38 am

      Hello Amanda, I hope your tulips do well again next year, they’re such a joy in spring! It’s a busy time of year, but you’ll be so pleased you did all this next year! x

      Reply
  2. Julie says

    September 5, 2017 at 6:23 pm

    Since finding your blog I have enjoyed your posts and this one is really lovely – I love the way you get straight to the point and mix a clear and interesting text with some great pictures. I love the look of it too – lots of space making it easy on the eye. I look forward to future posts and maybe you would like to take a look at mine, more urban than yours – but with the same idea of passion for gardening without too too much work.

    Reply
    • Jill Anderson says

      September 26, 2017 at 9:44 am

      Hi Julie, thank you for your lovely feedback! Your garden is full of interesting plants .. & I like that you’re a keen composter, you have managed to make loads!

      Reply

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Hello, I’m Jill Anderson.
This is where you’ll find good, solid information about gardening, growing fruit & vegetables and how to keep it all looking good.
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The healing, calming power of nature in one photo. The healing, calming power of nature in one photo.
These wonderful autumn colours won’t be around for much longer. But that’s ok, because now is what matters, & their fleeting beauty makes them even more precious.
It’s easy to see how being among trees & nature is so beneficial for our health & wellbeing. 
Have a great Sunday.
Savouring all the autumn colour, & doesn’t it lo Savouring all the autumn colour, & doesn’t it look spectacular with this bold front door.
Today has been hard work, after a lovely time last week in Norfolk. The north coast there is spectacular. Realising these last few months, that there are so many beautiful places here. 
Have a nice evening.
Charming glasshouse at Houghton Hall, Norfolk. Vis Charming glasshouse at Houghton Hall, Norfolk. Visiting to see the Anish Kapoor sculptures, which are amazing, but unprepared for the beauty of the grounds & garden. 
Such a treat, worth coming to Norfolk for this alone!
Hope you’re keeping well, & managing to smile some of the time. x
P.S. more of Houghton Hall & Anish Kapoor on my stories
We stopped off on the way home to pick blackberrie We stopped off on the way home to pick blackberries, after coffee & cake, sitting in the churchyard - the cafe was full, & the churchyard is a quiet, peaceful spot..... as you’d expect.
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One little advantage of lockdown is walking so much more, rather than using the car. Though it shouldn’t have taken something as momentous as this, for me to change bad habits 🙁
Hope you’re weekend is going well.
My hazel arch, a bit lopsided 🙄 using wood from My hazel arch, a bit lopsided 🙄 using wood from a random clump of hazel on the garden. Now looking much better covered in winter squash plants, so you can’t see just how ramshackle it is. I like to think it has a certain home-spun charm .

Great for small space gardening, imagine how much room you need to grow these without vertical supports.

I’ve got 2 Uchiki kuri, lovely nutty flavour.
1 Turks turban, for its flamboyant shape & colours, though it also tastes good.
One unknown, grown by my grandsons in their homeschooled science lesson.
Close-ups of the squash over on my stories.
Stay cool my friends x
I wanted to show you this lovely lily ( Lilium reg I wanted to show you this lovely lily ( Lilium regale) which is flowering right outside our bedroom window. 
It gets sun for about 4 hours only, you can order the bulbs now for planting in September. It’ll reappear every year & waft delicious scent around your garden, or through your windows.
Have a very happy Monday x
It’s British Flower Week, there’s a lot to be It’s British Flower Week, there’s a lot to be said for fabulous seasonal flowers that haven’t travelled thousands of miles ...... & are wonderful for biodiversity
A bit of rain, nice long days (it’s almost mid-s A bit of rain, nice long days (it’s almost mid-summer!) & it’s, mostly, all growing nicely.

Spinach, courgettes & garlic in shot here. 
Enjoy the rest of your Sunday x
Hope is a decision I’ve thought long & hard abou Hope is a decision
I’ve thought long & hard about how to view the tumult in the world we’re living in now. 
The only thing that works for me, is to choose hope.

It’s a tall order, but avoiding mainstream news & speculation helps avoid the anxiety, that’s often waiting in the wings.

One day soon there’ll be grandchildren clambering over this again.
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