September Gardening

by Ewshot Gardener in association with Church Crookham Garden Society

September is a good time to look around your garden, taking photographs to remind you of both the triumphs and the disasters; for example, the Crocosmias and Erigerons in my herbaceous border fell over in July and crushed all beneath, so I need to move them in October to somewhere less shady (or give more support!).

The year is far from over and chrysanthemums, asters and dahlias will go on flowering so long as you feed and dead-head them. Beans, sweetcorn and main potatoes can be harvested, but leave pumpkins and squashes on the plant to ripen.

I grow Autumn raspberries which go on cropping into October and, of course, apples and pears can be harvested and stored somewhere cool and frost-free as soon as they pick easily when you lift and turn.

I am going to take cuttings of my favourite fuchsias, pelargoniums and penstemons to overwinter under cover. If I lifted the whole plants, there would be no room in the house or greenhouse! Collect seeds from other plants and dry them before storing in paper envelopes (or swapping with friends).
September is also a time to start planting – daffodils need to go in now but tulips can wait until November.
Onions and shallots can be planted for overwintering.
Don’t forget to protect Brassicas from pigeons!

If your lawn is your pride and joy, then give it an Autumn feed (low nitrogen reduces soft growth and strengthens roots), scarify and aerate. It has not been a good year for lawns in Ewshot, has it?

To give a tidy outline for the Winter, clip deciduous hedges and give a second clip to the soft growth of cypress and yew.

This is the time many gardeners net their ponds to prevent leaves getting in, although one needs to consider wildlife access when doing so.

Here are some 2017 dates of interest
• 10th September Bramdean House near Alresford is open on for the National Gardens Scheme.
• 16th September Church Crookham Garden Society Show at Crookham memorial Hall, Sandy Lane (free entry, for classes see www.ccgsoc.org.uk)
• 17th September Harvest Festival at Ewshot
• 7th October Harvest Supper at Crookham Memorial Hall (see ccgsoc.org.uk for details)

Here is an Erigeron still standing. It is popular with the bees.