Barrow
September is an important month for jobs in the garden – there’s plenty to do as the Summer draws to an end.
- Prepare for planting by improving your soil with manure and bonemeal which will provide ongoing nourishment for new plants and shrubs
- Once the days start to cool down, plant new trees and shrubs – it’s the perfect time for them and they’ll provide you with a real treat next Spring
- Keep deadheading Summer flowers, if the weather is warm they will continue to flower during September
- If you’re planting trees, support them with a stake in their early years to ensure they become big and strong
Our pick of plants that are looking good in the garden this month
Heuchera – comes in a variety of colours and will brighten up any corner of your garden
Great for underplanting beneath trees and shrubs
Spikes of small flowers in the Summer, which bee and wildlife love
Grows well in semi-shade to full shade and tolerates dry soil, so it’s a real bonus plant for tricky areas
Buxus – perfect for formal, classic or contemporary gardens
Easy to grow and maintenance free
Will tolerate shade, drought and pollution well
Slow growing so retains it formal shape
Great for pots or used as hedging
Feed regularly with potash-rich feed to help prevent disease
Skimmia – a fabulous evergreen plant where the male can be covered in clusters of small, fragrant flowers in early Spring and the female bears beautiful bright berries from September to March
You’ll need both male and female to get the best of both worlds, unless you buy a hermaphrodite variety that will both flower and berry!
Love the shade and cope well in dry soil
Great for underplanting beds and borders
Male plants produce their flowering bracts in late Autumn and only open in early Spring, so adds interest to the garden throughout Winter