All around us we can hear the gentle hum of the combine and then a tractor or two hurries past the gate towards the grain store. I love September, but all too aware of the frantic rush of gathering in the harvest. The farming year is drawing to a close and there is a bounty of ingredients for the kitchen as summer crosses over to autumn.
In your herb garden …
- Sow outside in the garden or under cover in your green house – chives, coriander and parsley.
- By mid September gather up the basil and process into pesto or pistou for the freezer.
- Towards the end of the month – prepare to move pots of scented geraniums under cover and protect tender herbs such as myrtle and bay.
- Collect seed from angelica, caraway and fennel.
In your cutting garden …
Dahlias – will need regular picking for the vase as well as dead heading any flowers that have gone over. Continue picking and dead heading Cosmos.
It’s not too late to sow some hardy annuals now and then over winter these in a greenhouse. This will give you more established plants for next year. We love Calendula, Scabious and Papaver.
Begin pruning the roses, starting with climbers and ramblers remembering to remove the sucker shoots from the base of each shrub.
In the potting shed …
Force prepared hyacinths for Christmas.
Empty pots with faded annuals and discard plants to the compost. Move terracotta pots under cover to protect from frost. Giving them a thorough clean ready for next spring.
