The mornings are noticeably darker for longer and there’s definitely a feeling that summer has come to a close. That means one thing: we’ll soon be treated to the beautiful golden tones of autumn.
The Gardens look beautiful in any season, of course, but if you haven’t yet visited our newest addition – the Macmillan Cancer Support show garden, which was at Gardeners’ World Live at the NEC earlier this year – it’s well worth having a look.
September is the time when our indoor team will be potting spring bulbs in the nursery. We’ll be filling pots with beautiful hyacinths, daffodils, tulips and other colourful flowers that herald the new growing season. The outside team will also be preparing for spring by planting hundreds of bulbs in the bedding displays, as well as planting thousands of annuals for welcome winter colour.
It’s also this time of year when we start to choose and order the 10,000 to 12,000 bedding plants for the next 18 months – it’s a great job and we’re always planning ahead!
We gardeners always love something for nothing, so this month, divide herbaceous perennials. By lifting them and cutting them into smaller sections with a spade, it helps to rejuvenate the plant. Don’t forget to water them in well. It’s a great way to double – or triple – the number of plants you have, filling in those little gaps that always appear in the borders.
Other things to be getting on with this month include:
• Clean cold frames and greenhouses.
• Net ponds to reduce the debris that will fall into the water.
• Feed and deadhead containers and hanging baskets to ensure they continue to thrive until the first frosts.
• Prune late-summer flowering shrubs and climbing / rambling roses once they have finished flowering.
• Harvest seeds – store them in a paper bag and make sure you label them!
• Order bare root shrubs and trees now, for planting in November.
