September is a month full of changes. With summer coming to an end and autumn approaching, there's still plenty of opportunity to get out in the garden. If you're wondering where to start here are my top three gardening jobs for September.
Plant daffodil bulbs
Spring-flowering bulbs have now arrived in all our British Garden Centres, so it's a really good time of year to start thinking about what colours you want to see in your garden next spring.
One of my favourite spring flowers to plant now is daffodils. Planting them in early autumn gives the roots time to establish before winter, so early next year you'll start to see their green shoots popping up.
Choose a sunny, or partially shaded, spot with well-drained soil. Dig a hole that's around three times as deep as the height of the bulb and always plant with the pointed end facing upwards.
For the best display, I like to plant them in groups of three, five or seven. This creates a more natural look and you'll be rewarded with clumps of beautiful golden blooms next spring. Don't forget, you can also plant daffodils in containers if you're short on space.
Refresh tired bedding plants
If your summer bedding plants are looking a little bit tired – or crispy after this summer’s hot weather – then now is a great time for an autumnal refresh. My favourite thing to do in September is plant a pot with new bedding plants, so my garden continues to look colourful through autumn.
Start by choosing a pot and filling it with some fresh multi-purpose peat-free compost. This year I've gone for a selection of pink plants to match the colours of my pot, including lovely echinacea, a dark-leaved heuchera, and a little pink cyclamen.
I like to put my plants in the pot first to make sure I like the colour combination, and that they’ll all fit. Then, I gently tip each one out of its pot, give the roots a little tease with my fingers if needed, before tucking them into the soil.
Once your plants are in use a bit more compost to fill in the gaps and give the soil a firm press, followed by a really good watering. Keep your new pot watered if the weather remains dry, and it will look fabulous throughout the autumn.
Plant hardy perennials
Finally now’s the time to take a walk around your garden and have a look at how your plants have fared over the summer.
If some of them have suffered in the extremely dry conditions, then you could move or replace them. September is a fantastic month to do this and plant out new perennials, because the soil is still nice and warm and you've got the promise of more rainfall on the way. Planting now also gives your plants time to establish before winter and then, come next spring, they'll get off to a great growing start.
I've had quite a few crispy casualties after this summer, so I've chosen some hardy perennials to take their place like sedum, which is a great drought-tolerant choice. If we continue to have this hot weather in years to come, sedum is going to work perfectly and thrive in my garden.
When planting dig a hole slightly bigger than the pot it's come in. Because it's been so dry, it’s a good idea to fill the hole with water first and let that sink in before putting in your new plant.
Even though lots of hardy perennials are pretty drought-tolerant, they still need a really good watering to get them off to a great start. Taking extra care now will hopefully mean I'll have some nice, full borders next year.
Happy gardening!
