September in the Garden with Neal’s Nurseries

September days lack the warmth of summer but there are still plenty of jobs to do in the garden.  Ranging from harvesting fruit and vegetables to planting spring bulbs, here are some key gardening tasks, to help you keep your garden in tip-top shape:

Containers, pots, flower beds and borders

• Sow your hardy annuals such as Scabiosa, Ammi, and cornflowers, so that these beautiful flowers can bring colour to your beds and borders next year. And, if hardy perennials like Achillea are starting to look overcrowded, keep them healthy and promote new growth by dividing them.  Dividing hardy perennials not only helps the plant, but allows you to propagate more plants for your garden too!  Simply dig up the plant, divide the clump into smaller sections, and replant in new locations
• Your summer bedding plants will now start to look tired, so empty and plant up any containers with autumnal and spring favourites. Heathers, cyclamen, and heucheras are ideal for filling autumnal planters with flowers and foliage.  Add spring flowering bulbs like crocuses and daffodils into your pots, at the same time as your bedding plants, for more colour in the spring too.  Follow the planting instructions on the packets for each type of bulb, ensuring they are planted at the correct depth and spacing for optimal growth
• For extra rich colour and scent in the spring add wallflowers to your containers. These hardy young plants will continue growing during autumn and into winter to be ready to give a stunning display in spring

Fruit & Veg

• One of the most rewarding jobs in the garden has to be the harvesting the fruits of your labour. From sweet tomatoes through to juicy apples, make sure to pick your crops at their peak of ripeness.  And if you are growing vegetables like lettuce, cabbage, and kale, make sure you now protect them from peckish pigeons with bird-proof netting.  Birds can quickly destroy your green vegetables, so take preventative measures to ensure your harvest stays intact by simply draping the netting over your plants. Then, just secure it in place to keep the birds at bay
• September is the time to plant many vegetable seeds directly into the still warm soil. Suitable seeds include spinach, mizuna, pak-choi, winter salad mixes, along with autumn broad beans.  These cold-tolerant vegetables can then provide you with good pickings in the cold months ahead

From harvesting your crops to planting for the seasons ahead, there’s plenty to keep you busy.  So, grab your gardening gloves, get to work and enjoy having a successful autumn garden.

Written by Ali Barwani from Alexandra Palace Garden Centre, Capital Gardens, The Natural Place for Gardening.

For further information:
www.capitalgardens.co.uk

You can find your local South West London Garden Centres at:

Neal’s Nurseries Garden Centre
Heathfield Road
Wandsworth
London
SW18 3HR
0208 874 2037

Sheen Garden Centre
181-189 Upper Richmond Road West
London, SW14 8DU
0208 876 3648