September in the garden

[GlitterBiscuits]

I thought a monthly thread with jobs to do and photos of what's doing well, etc might be nice.

On the 9th of September it's traditionally time to cut back lavender.

I'm starting on some bulb shopping. I have a small area I could naturalise some daffodils etc.
My top tip is that Wilkos have good quality bulbs at good prices.

My compost bin has all the worlds wood lice in it. Can't see any worms now. I think that's a sign it's ready.

Have taken that lavender tip to heart 😁 I've been planting bulbs in pots for next spring for where there's no colour in parts of the garden (Tete a Tete, anemones and crocuses) and potted up a patio rose I had for my birthday... Hopefully I can keep it alive - it was from the inlaws 😂 also trying to keep my hanging baskets alive but I think I've destroyed one of them 🥴 actually thought about doing winter hanging baskets this year but don't think it'll get any further than being talked about! Some parts of the garden need cutting back but I tend to leave it until after the summer is past. Happy gardening everyone 🌻

Great idea to have a monthly thread! So.often you click on a thread and itnis months long and I lose the will as I am so far behind!

I was thinking of cutting back my lavender so it's nice to know it's the right time.
My rhubarb still looking good. What bad thing will happen if I harvest rhubarb in September?
I also want to replace the blackcurrants that I pulled out this year.
Verbena bonariensis goes on. The Abelia is one of my favourite shrubs and is covered with bees.
A little calibrachoa has been hidden in a corner and I've just moved it to the front as I love those dark chocolate flowers.

Oh can I join this? this looks great! I'd like to plant some bulbs in pots down in our flower patch on allotment this weekend. Novice question, but do you need to basically ignore them over winter or should they be brought into a greenhouse/covered in fleece once the frost sets in (ok a long way off I know!!)
I'm really not sure with bulbs haha.

I've recently planted rhubarb crowns, 2 x grape vine plants and strawberries!

@Fearnecuptea I've always left my bulbs outside once I've potted them - I've never had any problems as such.. I'm no expert tho 😉

Thanks for the tip! I'm going to get potting some bulbs and leave straight outside this weekend.

I got so mini alliums from Aldi to put in the front garden - brill price £1.69 for 25. Lidl us usually have a good range too 😉

Joining for inspiration!

Good thread. Placemarking.
My garden is so wild at the moment I feel like everything needs tidying.
I’m planning to put a layer of mulch/ manure after I’ve tidied.
I had spring bulbs for the first time this year and it was great, but I’d like to try and order them a bit differently this year. I like the sound of lasagna layering. Planting lots of snowdrops in the green so hoping they take hold.
It feels too early and too hot to start planting bulbs - maybe it’s not, I’ll certainly start buying them. It’s so exciting.

I have some pheasants eye narcissus that flower after all the other daffs. I'ts nice to stagger spring flowering times with different bulbs.

What a nice idea for a thread. Looking good at the moment are Japanese anemones and Aster Frikaarti Munch (Not sure of the spelling, sorry!) which started flowering at the end of July and just gets better.
I planted Allium Christophii last year. It's short so it won't blow over and has huge flower heads, I recommend it if anyone's wondering which alliums to choose .
I want to plant grape hyacinth bulbs at the front of the borders this year.
How do you layer a pot? Presumably the late flowering things go in the bottom. What do you do with the dead foliage from the early flowerers? And what bulbs are suitable? I'd love to try but I'm not sure where to start.

My rudbeckia, agastache, sedum and verbena are still going strong. Cosmos is starting to look diseased. I need to water desperately as things are wilting and forgot last night.

As it goes, @CatAlice, my dad was talking about the rhubarb rules at the weekend. He had harvested recently, and made a tart with it for friends who are knowledgeable plants people, who said it was too late and might weaken the plant for next year. My dad was not overly concerned, he's reasonably knowledgeable himself.

I don't want to cut my lavendar back yet, it's still full of bees. Will it damage the plant to not cut it back until autumn?

My mum used to say rhubarb harvested after June was never nice. I live near the rhubarb triangle and you never see rhubarb in the shops this late in the year.

My hostas are looking very sad and autumnal, and I am madly deadheading my phlox to get rid of the straggly bits.

NigellaSeed I’m wondering this too.
Regarding lavender, mine were just planted this year. Should I just leave them to establish, and not trim back this year?
I’m new to gardening and so confused. The internet says different things.

What a great idea for an ongoing thread. 💘 it. Thankyou. 💐

Here’s a photo of a rose I bought in Morrison’s for a couple of quid.
It’s on its second lot of blooms.

Trying again

Eek! I've never cut my lavender back! Is that bad?!

I was also planning on cutting back my lavender soon but it's newly planted this year so now I'll hold off for wisdom on that topic...

@ThreeKneeRepeater that's a beauty.
I reckon supermarket plants are great value. I bought some exotic tender perenniels for a couple of pounds each from Lidl and they are doing really well.

I was more worried about poisoning us with the rhubarb than the effect on the plants which are seemingly indestructable .
I must admit I hack my lavender to the ground when you are supposed to clip it back gently. I figure it self seeds everywhere and I'll always have spare plants as I weed them out.

Apparently rhubarb has more oxalic acid in it later on in the year. Its most concentrated in the leaves, which is why we don't eat them. So maybe just trim off a bit more? And avoid if you are prone to kidney issues, and mix with some apple perhaps.

But I think the reason that the rhubarb triangle stops selling is that the majority of their rhubarb is (higher margin) early forced rhubarb, which needs time with its leaves to replenish itself.

Fearnecuptea I'd maybe cover the bulb pots with some wire or mesh, as hungry squirrels/mice/voles will chomp them if they get a chance.

Great thread! We’ve been cutting the beech hedge (it’s first and only cut this year, because loads of nests) and clearing out some of the vegetables that are finished.

Lots of blackberry picking, and then in a couple of weeks, cutting back all the brambles. Our council has suspended the green waste collections and all our compost enclosures are full so lord knows what I’m going to do with it all!