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.

@TheSpottedZebra

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.

Oh great tip, thank you I will!

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. Also if you have arthritis, something about calcium oxalate crystals in the joints.

Lavender - no problem about leaving it till spring, which I always do in case the goldfinches haven't quite finished with the seeds. It won't hurt the plant if you don't prune at all, but it will get a bit leggy and woody.

This month I shall be cutting the hedge, sowing a last sowing of japanese greens - optimistic rather than realistic, hastening to repot everything I should have repotted earlier. Otherwise just harvesting and more harvesting.

Watching with interest!

Oh I'd like to join please, watching with interest. First home and first garden, been learning lots over the spring and summer. Everything is looking quite wild in the garden now, I'll add lavender cutting back to my list. How long should I leave my summer flowering bulbs before cutting back and pulling up (gladioli and euconomis). Up in Scotland so not sure they would survive a winter in the soil. The lupins have come back for a second display which is lovely, and the Japanese anemones are everywhere! I'm also getting a second bloom on the roses but they look very woody...

I have put in my spring bulbs today, daffodils and tulips. Also popped in the winter crops (slightly late but banking on an Indian summer!) Of spinach, peas, beans and radishes. Have weeded and put hay on the unused bit if the veg patch for the winter too. Plus I went around and vinegar sprayed the weeds ready to get out tomorrow and clean them up.

Does vinegar kill weeds?

I am trying very hard not to plant my bulbs too early this year. Last year (my first ever attempt) I did it about this time and the muscari grew loads of foliage before Xmas that looked horrible when they started to flower. I live in cornwall and suspect it’s too mild yet.

My biggest job is tearing down my enormous monster sweet peas - I have three pots that will be too big for the garden waste so I’ll need a dump trip!

Pity to dump sweet peas. They’re a legume, which means they have little nodules on their roots which can “fix” free nitrogen from the air gaps in soil, rather than relying on nitrogen compounds in fertiliser. So composting them adds nutrient to your compost.

I'm pretty much creating a garden from scratch as the place we moved to in June has some decking and lawn then that's it. The front garden had some really old woody lavender which I've now taken up and I have new lavender in pots ready to go in its place. I've just put in some clematis and climbing roses to grow up the new fencing and we have started on some small tree planting. I'm excited about an order of bulbs that should be here soon - perennial tulip bulbs in three colours (pink, burnt orange and black - hoping that will look effective) and daffodils of course. I've finally got a home for my Dad's Acer which has now been in a pot for far too long, so I was excited to get that in the ground (this is about the 6th garden the poor thing has been in). Now thinking about a nice small flowering tree for the spring - any suggestions very welcome!

Where is the best place to order bulbs from?

@MereDintofPandiculation

Pity to dump sweet peas. They’re a legume, which means they have little nodules on their roots which can “fix” free nitrogen from the air gaps in soil, rather than relying on nitrogen compounds in fertiliser. So composting them adds nutrient to your compost.

I would love to follow that advice, but I only have decking with pots. No room for a compost bin.

If you leave your lavender and don't cut it back until the spring the seed will provide food for small birds (I get loads of goldfinches on mine) through the winter.

If you leave lavender unpruned now, when's the best time to cut it back? Mine's very woody already and I'd planned a serious haircut for it! But always keen to entice more birds into the garden.

Picture of my sedum moments before my DD fell into the middle of it, squashing it and sending the bees flying

Tips from I picKed up from Gardners World this week

Dead head AGAPANTHUS, keep feeding and watering weekly before they are pit away for winter

STRAWBERRY RUNNERS, planted neares the parent, cut the rest off. Pin to the soil or in a pot of compost. It will form roots in about 3 weeks. Then plant out

Clear SWEET PEAS. Or let sweet pea pods turn brown and crispy and save the seeds. Plant in October or Spring.

I swear by bulbs from Wilkos!

Although too warm to get them in now.
Tulips especially. They can be planted in December

I find Anglian bulbs very good, l ordered lots of dahlia tubers from them last year and they arrived in perfect condition . My dahlias are in full bloom in front garden, look stunning. I have them in deep vivid reds, orange and purple, mostly poms, sone are cactus variety. Been busy staking them.
My salvias and penstomens are also still in full flower, bees love them, and l mingle them around my David Austin roses in my back garden. Took some cuttings beginning of last month and will over winter them. Been deadheading roses and climbers, tying in etc.
Leaving cat food and water out at night for my hedgehog, trying to fatten him up before hibernation. Lots of little quiet dens down very far end of garden.

I've ordered bulbs from Peter Nyssen as I wanted perennial tulip bulbs and they had a good selection. I looked at Sarah Raven as well but they seemed more expensive, though good for ideas. I've no idea really but spent a small fortune. There are loads of very confident squirrels who visit our garden so I'm hoping they don't dig them all up when I put them in.

I'm holding off planting bulbs for another month, it's too warm here.

Mostly dead heading, watering and harvesting tomatoes here. Lavender is still flowering so I'll wait a couple of weeks for that too.

@ArtichokeAardvark I usually do mine in about February, though I have a lot of it, and sometimes I give in and tidy up some of the ones which are really leggy, but leave others for the goldfinches.

I’ve ordered from farmer Gracy for the first time. They arrive today! I did a bulb lasagne last year with bulbs from Sarah Raven but their service was so poor I didn’t really order this year. However, the bulb lasagne was gorgeous and had three stages of flowering. Really easy to do and lovely to see when it’s flowering

If they have them in and not sold them all yet, Lidl do really fabulous tulips. I've grown them in pots for three years and they look fantastic. I do the bulb lasagne and will put frothy blue forget me nots in the top as I have hundreds of them this year.

Don't plant tulips too early, plant November and December apparently when it's colder something I think the bulbs prefer.

Oh no, novice me has planted a load of bulbs already. What will happen?

Great thread.

mice, voles, squirrels like crocus, tulips and gladioli bulbs.. other bulbs are poisonous to them, but if anyone has found other bulbs being eaten i’d like to know !

Yes planting bulbs is high on my do list atm.