Gardening in September
Lee Senior brings some more tips for growing on board or on land.
THERE is still plenty of flower colour to enjoy despite the ever shortening day length. Our summer bedding will soldier on into October or until it is stopped in its tracks by the first frosts of autumn.
Two perennial late summer show-stoppers are Michaelmas daisies (aster) and Sedum Autumn Joy. Both will grow well in containers and both are suitable as excellent cut flowers. Sedum is one of the best late summer nectar plants for butterflies and bees.
At this time of year, saving your own seeds from some of your favourite flowers and vegetables is great fun. Non-hybrid varieties of annuals such as marigolds or wildflowers such as poppies are ideal. It is a great activity to get children involved in gardening.
In the veg patch broad beans and radish seeds are easy to save and good fun it is too. Simply dry the seeds and store them in a cool, dry place over winter. I use paper bags, but please don’t use plastic as the seeds will rot. Do remember to wash your hands after handling the seeds.
It is spring bulb ordering time now as we look ahead to next spring. Miniature daffodils look great planted in groups of odd numbers.
In the veg garden many summer cropping plants are coming to the end now. As ever we have one eye towards next year and now is the time to plant onions for overwintering. Grown from sets they can easily be grown in multi-purpose compost in groups depending on the size of your pot. They will be ready to harvest early next summer.
Outdoor tomatoes should have their tops pinched out to stop extra growth. If the weather turns cold bring the truss inside to ripen.