With this September being slightly warmer than expected, the colder autumn weather is forecasted and cautiously creeping upon us. A time when the garden changes and slowly shifts into a more dormant state, September is a key month for keeping on top of garden care and preparing the garden ahead of the winter.
After speaking to the team, it feels as though September is a time to reflect. A time to reflect upon our gardens, a time to evaluate our surroundings and most importantly, it is a time to prepare our gardens for the autumn months ahead.
So, we thought that we would share some ways that we are composing our gardens this September, with you.
Lawncare
As the weather changes, we need to ensure that all of our lawns are prepped ready for autumn. The summer season is a busy period for our gardens, causing lawns to become worn in areas. Luckily, September is the ultimate time for a lawn revival. Scarifying maybe required, it’s just one technique for getting to grips with removing moss and thatch, enabling your grass to have improved access to water and fertilisers in order to enhance the health of your garden lawn.
The growth of grass considerably reduces during the autumn/winter months, making this the perfect time to get your lawn into tip-top shape so that it stays in prime condition throughout the winter season.
Planting, Foraging, Dividing and Pruning
September gardens require a significant amount of garden maintenance. Tidying and defining any untamed hedges, lifting and dividing plants, harvesting, then reaping the rewards of sweet, juicy jewels of orchard fruits.
If you are fortunate enough to have an apple tree or other fruits growing freely within your garden (such as blackberries and damsons), then September is the perfect time to pick your organic fruits. This means that you can then let them ripen within your house, so that they are ready to use when making all your autumn dishes and desserts.
September is a wonderful time to plant. The soil is still warm from summer’s rays and there’s sufficient rainfall to allow young plants to get cosy and establish themselves before winter’s chill sets in. This is the perfect time to plant autumn hedges and spring bulbs so that they are prepped and ready to bring early colour to the garden as they mark the passing of winter and herald the arrival of spring.
The autumn season will also see our team dividing perennials, creating several new plants from a single, mature specimen, a particularly useful skill for conserving and multiplying stock of any much loved or highly prized specimens (or simply a cost-effective way to fill up beds and borders).
And let’s not overlook the importance of diligent deadheading. The action of removing drooping blooms guarantees that perennials will continue to flourish for the longest possible duration.
We’ll also be checking garden ponds to make sure protective netting or coverings are in place to protect it from leaves decomposing within the water.
Always in the thick of the action, the landscaping team aren’t ones to be left out. September provides them with a wonderful opportunity to repair any damage or renovate landscape elements.
The Autumn Kitchen Garden
The changing season doesn’t have to halt activity within kitchen gardens either. There are many vegetables that thrive when they are planted in September, including cabbage, broad beans, turnips and more. The kitchen garden specialists amongst our team are sowing these seeds right now, so the warm and moist soil will fill with organic produce, overflowing with flavour when it is picked in the springtime.
Need a helping hand to keep your garden glorious? We’d love to hear all about your garden landscape. Talk to The Oxfordshire Gardener Team.
