September is the ideal month to buy and plant bulbs ready for winter and spring flowering. You can also take cuttings from fuchsias and pelargoniums, sow hardy annuals to overwinter, plant lilies and prepare beds for spring plants. In fact, most of the tasks this month are forward-looking, preparing for the change in the weather that autumn brings.
Grass tips
As they get ready for their Great Autumn Show of September 16 and 17, The Royal Horticultural Society have issued some useful tips on ensuring healthy lawns during the coming months: • Feed lawns with autumn lawn fertilisers to improve root development and help promote strong growth that will exclude winter moss. • Set the mower to give a slightly higher cut for autumn and winter. • Rake and spike lawns where thatch has built up and the soil is compacted. After this, rake in grass seed at half the usual rate if the grass is thin, to thicken up the sward.
Extra protection
Nights and early mornings will begin to get cold, there may be some frost, and not all plants are hardy enough to survive the Great British winter. Extra protection for the more tender species can be obtained by wrapping them in fleece or removing them from the soil to store indoors during the cooler weather. Remove buds from Dahlias as necessary, and lift and store them after the first frost. Attend to garden furniture, making sure that it's ready to withstand wind, rain, storm and frost. Repair any weakened fence panels. Bird tables will also need checking to make sure they are sound. Get your stocks of nuts and seeds in readiness for the end of the harvest, when food starts to be in short supply for our feathered friends.
Know your onions
Onions are ready to lift now; the plants should have died back revealing a large bulb protruding from the soil. For storage, why not find out from a friend or a gardening book how to string them? As well as keeping the onions dry and useable, these make an attractive addition to any 'country' kitchen.
Second flower
This is the time of year when you can be pleased with yourself for having made that little effort earlier on, as many plants are rewarding a routine of dead-heading, thinning and pruning with a second flowering as impressive as the first.
Make the most
Make the most of the long, warm days of September. Essential work is not too hard in the garden this month, so take time to enjoy the rest of the season. If the rain holds off for long enough, don't forget to go blackberry picking - perfect for pies and crumbles.