September is the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness. Plants and crops can finally relax as the bright summer sun reduces and the cooler autumnal weather comes back. The garden may also be producing its last summer fruits and summertime flowers. Here are a few ideas for what you can do in the garden in September :
Prepare your pumpkins
If you planted your own pumpkins back in summer to have them ready for spooky season, it's important to remove any leaves that are covering the pumpkins now for these last few weeks leading up to the harvest. While there's nothing wrong with a pale pumpkin, they'll need direct sunlight to gain their lovely orange colour.
Build a compost bin
Creating your own compost bin allows you to transform your garden and kitchen waste into rich compost which you can use for planting your flowers or crops. Composting also reduces the amount of waste you dump, so as well as creating good nutrients for your garden, you are also helping the planet.
Start planting cool weather crops
This is the best time to plant leafy greens as they can withstand frosty weather and lower temperatures. The cold also seems to make these crops sweeter. Examples of cool weather crops include kale, carrots, peas, cauliflower and broccoli. Most of these crops are also staples in kitchens.
Plant flowers
Various flowers can be planted in September to come up earlier in the spring, such as moody blues, poppies and cornflowers. Moody blues are a classic and common favourite as their seed heads make an interesting addition to a dried flower display. Cornflowers and poppies are found in most meadows. Though blue and red are the most common colours, some varieties also come in pink, white and even dark purple and would look stunning in various colours framing a bench or patio. Poppies will also grow in most soil as long as it is well drained and has full sun. It is always recommended to plant poppies in the garden soil as they do not do well in containers.
Force Bulbs for Christmas blooms
If you can't wait for spring to come, get a jump on the season and try forcing bulbs to keep your green thumb strong and brighten the days through autumn and winter.
Forcing refers to tricking bulbs to bloom out of season by taking them indoors and giving them favourable conditions for growing. Hyacinths, narcissi, tulips, snowdrops, daffodils and amaryllis are all great options to start growing indoors now, and can add magical spring colour and fragrance to your home over the winter season. If you get your timing just right, you could even work spring flowers into your Christmas decorations or give them as gifts in one of our beautiful pots or planters.
