Summer is winding down to a close – we’ve all had (hopefully) our summer hols, gloried in our blooming gardens and green spaces, watered the lawn, rejoiced in the warm temperatures and generally had a jolly good old time.
Now late summer progresses into autumn and with it comes a new set of to-do’s for your gardens in preparation for the winter months –
September is generally a cooler, gustier month than August and the days are noticeably shorter. While there’s not as much to do in the ornamental garden at this time of the year, if you have a fruit or vegetable patch, you’ll be busy reaping the rewards of harvest. It’s also time to get out and start planting spring-flowering bulbs for next year and you can collect seeds for next summer’s colour too.
1 – Divide herbaceous perennials.
2 – Pick autumn raspberries.
3 – Collect and sow seed from perennials and hardy annuals.
4 – Dig up remaining potatoes before slug damage spoils them.
5 – Net ponds before leaf fall gets underway.
6 – Keep up with watering of new plants, using rain or grey water if possible.
7 – Start to reduce the frequency of houseplant watering.
8 – Clean out cold frames and greenhouses so that they are ready for use in the autumn.
9 – Cover leafy vegetable crops with bird-proof netting.
10 – Plant spring flowering bulbs.
* Excerpts from an article in the Royal Horticultural Society
