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| Helanium-Echincea-Triollius |
Jobs To Be Done
Anyone who enjoys watching the Scottish gardening program Beachgrove will have spotted Criss Beardshaw advocating mulching with compost, sprinkling with slow release feed and watering with micro nutrient rich seaweed as a broad solution for anything dwindling like tired roses, shrubs and struggling new box plants.I can't fault this as excellent advice and excellent timing.
Whilst Criss was busy remedying tired shrubs Monty was busy cutting hedges with an impressive full set of mechanised tools and safety gear. It’s a particularly good time to trim both hedges and evergreens.(Planting bare root hedging starts in November) Cut them back into shape without the risk of any new fresh shoots getting frosted. If these two tasts alone were not enough to keep us busy this September there is still more to be done!
Ideally its a season to choose new plants. Please get rid of plants you don't like as you would with anything else. If you don't really like it you don't really want it. Time for a change! Its a good opportunity to sort out mistakes and move or bin or give away (don't tell boss man Peter!) plants because they are in the wrong position or the wrong colour or size. They will have plenty of time to re-establish well for next year.
Bare patches in the lawn should seed really well. Rake in a bit of compost and perhaps sand to the bare patch prior to seeding, this will help the new grass establish.
Spring Bulbs It’s also the perfect time to plant drifts of Daffodils or Small Narcissi, Bluebells, Fritillaries, Hyacinths, Crocus, large Alliums, Scillas etc. We now have a good selection of Spring bulbs and now is the season to plant. Tulips can wait until November.
Encouraging More Flowers
Remove seed heads from herbaceous plants that have finished flowering and they may give you another flush before going to seed. If you remembered to cut back your Lupins, Delphiniums, Salvias, Campanulas, Lavenders etc after they finished flowering I hope you are now enjoying a second flush of colour. I wish I had had more time.If you made the mistake of going away the week it got hot in August and not cutting enought back you garden may look tired like mine! I did remembered to keep dead heading my David Austin Roses and they are still flowering.
Planting For Colour
Gardens should be full of colour but if yours is dull plant some of the wonderfully easy to grow herbaceous plants that are delighting us now. Asters, Sedums,
Heleniums, Anemones, Penstemons, Echinacea (lots of
new colours) and Leucanthemum daisies, rudbeckia,aster, achillea and eupatorium to name but a few.
Planting now
allows a good root system to establish which they can draw on during
their next growing season from about April onwards when the soil warms
up. Anything you plant now you will be enjoying this time next year.
Planting now gives you the perfect opportunity to fill any gaps with
colours and shades that you want to see. You can see what colour you
have and plant those that blend or contrast. There are some lovely
plants flowering right now.
Anyone who enjoys watching the Scottish gardening program Beachgrove will have spotted Criss Beardshaw advocating mulching with compost, sprinkling with slow release feed and watering with micro nutrient rich seaweed as a broad solution for anything dwindling like tired roses, shrubs and struggling new box plants.I can't fault this as excellent advice and excellent timing.
Whilst Criss was busy remedying tired shrubs Monty was busy cutting hedges with an impressive full set of mechanised tools and safety gear. It’s a particularly good time to trim both hedges and evergreens.(Planting bare root hedging starts in November) Cut them back into shape without the risk of any new fresh shoots getting frosted. If these two tasts alone were not enough to keep us busy this September there is still more to be done!
Ideally its a season to choose new plants. Please get rid of plants you don't like as you would with anything else. If you don't really like it you don't really want it. Time for a change! Its a good opportunity to sort out mistakes and move or bin or give away (don't tell boss man Peter!) plants because they are in the wrong position or the wrong colour or size. They will have plenty of time to re-establish well for next year.
Bare patches in the lawn should seed really well. Rake in a bit of compost and perhaps sand to the bare patch prior to seeding, this will help the new grass establish.
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| Allium Purple Sensation |
Spring Bulbs It’s also the perfect time to plant drifts of Daffodils or Small Narcissi, Bluebells, Fritillaries, Hyacinths, Crocus, large Alliums, Scillas etc. We now have a good selection of Spring bulbs and now is the season to plant. Tulips can wait until November.
Encouraging More Flowers
Remove seed heads from herbaceous plants that have finished flowering and they may give you another flush before going to seed. If you remembered to cut back your Lupins, Delphiniums, Salvias, Campanulas, Lavenders etc after they finished flowering I hope you are now enjoying a second flush of colour. I wish I had had more time.If you made the mistake of going away the week it got hot in August and not cutting enought back you garden may look tired like mine! I did remembered to keep dead heading my David Austin Roses and they are still flowering.
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| Leucanthem |
Gardens should be full of colour but if yours is dull plant some of the wonderfully easy to grow herbaceous plants that are delighting us now. Asters, Sedums,
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| Sedum |
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| Echinacea |
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| Penstemons make wonderful late summer colour |
