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What to do in the garden in September:
Time to rev up again: this is one of the busiest months in the year, so arm yourself with secateurs and a trowl - it's time to go gardening! Here are a few of the jobs you can be getting on with:
General tasks:
Plant, plant, plant! Early autumn is by far the best time to establish new shrubs, trees and perennials.
Give your lawn some TLC after its hard summer as a football...
Prune rambling roses as soon as they've flowered. You can tell the difference between these and climbing types because rambling roses produce multiple whippy stems from the base: climbing roses, on the other hand, form a woody framework from which flowering shoots grow through the year.
Start by removing any obviously dead or dying shoots right back to the ground. Then cut out the shoots which have flowered, removing them as close to the ground as possi...
Dry bunches of herbs to use through winter so you make the most of the summer's plenty and enjoy home-grown herbs even through the coldest months of the year.
Most shrubby herbs dry readily to preserve the essential oils that make them so fragrant and flavoursome to use in your cooking. Rosemary, bay, thyme, lavender, marjoram and sage are all easily stored in this way.
Try to cut your herbs early in the morning, while those essential oils...
Plant autumn crocus corms now for a spectacular display of 'naked' flowers rising as if by magic from the ground. These lovely flowers have the unusual habit of producing their leaves after they bloom – so you can appreciate their subtle, delicate beauty in splendid isolation, without any distractions.
The name is somewhat misleading as they aren't true crocus at all, but colchicums – more closely related to lilies. Their large yet delicate flowers are...
Sow spring cabbages to grow through winter for delicious and nutritious greens from next March onwards.
These hearty greens are a welcome treat in spring, when there's little else around – try them shredded and steamed gently in butter, salt and pepper for a really scrummy treat. You'll find a good choice of seed in our garden centre right now: 'Durham Early' is a tried-and-tested heritage variety which forms pointed hearts, while 'Spring Hero' is a bal...
Start a square foot veg garden as the perfect way to squeeze a lot of veg into the tiniest of gardens. When you're short of space, packing variety into your patch becomes incredibly important. But with square foot gardening, you can harvest nine or ten different vegetables from a bed just a metre square.
The idea is that you divide your space into small, manageable proportions, ideally 30cm (1ft) square. Add plenty of well-rotted manure to the soil, as...
Prune pyracantha just after flowering to make the most of the fabulous display of berries you can expect from next month onwards.
You'll find a great selection of this truly year-round shrub in our garden centre here in London, with berries in a traffic light range of colours. Among the best scarlet-berried pyracantha are 'Saphyr Rouge'. If you prefer orange berries, look out for 'Saphyr Orange' or 'Orange Glow', and there are also pyracantha with berri...
The lazy, hazy days of summer are with us at last, and it's a great time to kick back and enjoy the rewards of your hard work. But don't take it too easy: there are still a few things to be getting on with!
General tasks:
Feed containers and hanging baskets once a week with high-nitrogen liquid fertiliser to maintain a really good display.
Raise the height of mower blades in hot, dry weather – if grass is left a little longe...
August's plant of the month is the hydrangea, one of our all-time favourite shrubs for its gorgeous showy flowers, easy-going nature and superb versatility.
You may not realise, for example, that you can have a hydrangea flowering every day from early July through till the first frosts if you choose well. That's because there are an amazing 23 species, all with their own particular charms.
First to flower is Hydrangea serrata, a Japanese va...
Top up your pond in dry spells as plants and wildlife soon start to suffer if you allow too much water to evaporate away in the hot weather. Rainwater is best, but tap water can be added little and often without upsetting the pond's natural balance.
While you're at it, take a close look at your fish. If they're gulping for air close to the surface, there's not enough oxygen in the water - quite a common problem on sunny days. In extreme...
Water tomatoes with care this month as they'll struggle to perform at their best unless everything is just right. The heaviest crops and most flawless fruits come from plants kept at an even temperature, good light levels, and above all, constantly moist soil.
Tomatoes like the soil to hold the same amount of water at all times: neither too wet nor too dry. Let them dry out and then give them a thorough drenching, and they'll reward you with split fruit...
Plait your garlic after harvesting and hang in the kitchen to dry for a practical and good-looking way of storing the bulbs through winter. Once dry, garlic bulbs keep for months and will see you well into next spring.
There are two types of garlic, so make sure you've got the right one. Softneck garlics such as 'Solent Wight' store well and are best for plaiting. Hardneck varieties (such as 'Chesnok Wight' or 'Red Sicilian') are highly...