Cucumbers (Cucumis sativus)
Delicious in salads and sandwiches, the crisp, sweet crunch of a cucumber is one of the joys of summer.
September is pleasantly warm enough to enjoy pottering in the garden, with the relentless heat of previous months usually behind us. The evenings arrive earlier and are slightly cooler, a sign of the changing conditions of autumn. There’s plenty to keep you active in all areas of the garden, with fruit to be harvested, bulbs to plant ready for the spring, seeds to save from spent flowers, and perennials to plant out in the borders.
The vegetable garden is at the height of production in September, whilst there are plenty of bulbs and flowers to plant in September too. Discover what you should be doing in your garden in September as we head into the autumn.
Delicious in salads and sandwiches, the crisp, sweet crunch of a cucumber is one of the joys of summer.
Onions (Allium cepa) are an essential ingredient in every cook’s store cupboard.
Courgettes are a common summer staple in the vegetable garden.
Runner beans (Phaseolus coccineus) are among the easiest and most rewarding vegetables to grow.
Grow your own salad and you can pick exactly how much you want and need.
Spring onions are a delicious addition to a whole range of dishes, from summer salads to stir-fries.
Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) are tubers that grow and form at the plant’s roots.
Nothing beats the taste of your own home-grown tomatoes, freshly-picked and warm from the summer sun.
Garlic is the base of so many delicious dishes, and growing garlic at home is now very popular.
Delicious in pies, soups and stews, and full of vitamins and minerals, pumpkins are a tasty autumn and winter treat.
French beans are a versatile vegetable, producing attractive, long, thin pods, and creamy haricot beans.
Salad rocket, like its name, is a fast-growing salad leaf, perfect for adding a peppery spiciness to your salads.
Chard, or Swiss Chard, is a delicious and beautiful plant which will bring harvests to the kitchen and colour to the...
Sorrel is a great substitute for spinach, with a similar texture but a sharper citrus flavour.
If you’re a strawberry fan, the many varieties of ‘Fragaria × ananassa’ are easy to grow at home.
What could be better than a bowl of sweet, freshly-picked raspberries in summer?
Eaten fresh, baked in muffins or as the star attraction in jams or desserts, blueberries are always delicious.
With their exotic and enormous foliage, banana plants add a taste of the tropics to the garden.
Butternut squash are a late season favourite, with attractive fruits which will keep well throughout the autumn and...
Fig trees (Ficus carica) are Mediterranean natives that thrive in climates with hot, dry summers and cool winters...
Geraniums are versatile plants which can add a multitude of colours and scents to the garden.
Crocosmia bring flashes of bright colour and vibrance to a garden, with their graceful, delicately arching flower stalks...
Hailing from a diverse range of habitats/regions, there’s a Euphorbia to suit you – whether you’re looking for a...
Commonly known as the butterfly bush, Buddleia davidii is a hardy, summer flowering shrub which is very easy to grow.
A slow-growing and easy-to-care-for plant, the bay tree is extremely popular. The aromatic leaves are widely used in all...
You may have heard of Carnations, Sweet Williams, and Pinks - these are all types of Dianthus, the collective name for...
The many different species of Verbena are great for bringing useful pollinators to the garden.
Gypsophila has earned its nickname from the sweet-sour milk smell of its flowers, which resemble that of baby’s breath.
The vibrant blue flowers of Forget-Me-Nots make them a pretty choice for brightening a spring garden.
Common hollyhocks (Alcea rosea) are an elegant, traditional flower, perfect for a classic cottage garden.
Catnip is widely recognized as the plant that can send cats wild with its scent! However, its benefits extend far beyond...
Gardenias are cherished for their beautifully fragrant blooms and glossy, evergreen foliage. These warm-climate shrubs...
Cultivated in herb gardens for centuries, Basil is one of the easiest herbs to grow from seed and it makes a delicious...
Coriander is a must in salads and as a fragrant green addition to Indian, Thai and Chinese curries.
Peppermint is super easy to grow. The flowers attract beneficial wildlife to the garden, and peppermint plants are...
Borage, or starflower, is an easy-to-grow herb with edible flowers and leaves.
Alliums belong to the same family as onions, garlic and leeks, as you can tell from the scent when you crush the foliage...
There are over 900 distinct species of Salvia, providing a huge range of smells and vivacious colours.
Pretty and delicate, Geums provide colour throughout the summer. They are frost tolerant, happy in a range of soil types...
Most Honeysuckles have a sweet heady summer fragrance and are very beneficial to garden wildlife.
Perfect for autumn colour, the brightly coloured Nerine is a great addition to a sun-soaked border. They can also be...
The Viola is an adaptable low growing bedding plant coming in both classic and trailing varieties.
Coming in a range of colours and sizes, Snapdragons bloom from June through to October on tall spire stems.
Anemones are a cheerful and vibrant group of plants, providing interest from early spring onwards.
Plants in the Sedum genus are easy to grow, produce lots of nectar for pollinators, and provide lovely autumn colour.
Calathea do have a reputation of being tricky to grow, but these challenges are well worth mastering
Hostas are usually grown for their beautiful leaves, with the attractive foliage coming in various shades of green, blue...
Sowing vegetables in September will bring spring harvests and help to cover the ‘hungry gap’ between seasons:
They can all be sown as seeds, straight into prepared soil. Protect from birds with tightly secured netting.
September is the pinnacle of the vegetable growing season, with heavy quantities of veg available to the home grower:
There is plenty to do in the vegetable patch to keep it productive throughout September:
If the hot and dry weather of the summer has continued, make sure to keep plants well-watered. This is particularly important for new seedlings, which can quickly wither without a little help.
Strawberries can be planted in September, either by using runners from existing plants, or buying new ones. They are easy to grow in the ground or in pots.
September is the perfect time to order new fruit trees and bushes, with the widest selection of varieties becoming available as bare-root plants. Fruit plants are perennials, and will be in your garden for years, possibly even decades, so consider what is right for you and your garden:
Many fruit trees can also be planted in containers. There are not so many varieties, and they will need lots of water in hot spells, when they will dry out quickly. However, they are great as feature plants in ornate planters, or if you want maximum productivity from a small space.
September can provide bumper crops of homegrown fruit. Pick fruits regularly to catch them at their best:;
If you want to keep berries for use over the winter, wash them and add to a container in the freezer. Give it a shake after an hour to keep them from sticking to each other, making it easy to take a handful whenever needed.
Fruit trees and bushes need little maintenance in September. Do the following to keep plants healthy:
Heavily fruit laden branches of apple and pear trees may need support. If necessary, support the branch from below with a stout stake, or by attaching strong rope from the branch to a nearby wall.
Autumn is the perfect time to plant perennials and shrubs. Perennials are either herbaceous, meaning that they will die back later in the year and reappear in the spring, evergreen or semi-evergreen. This means they will give interest all or most of the year round. They will live for many years, so choose plants which are right for your garden and which you find attractive. Consider:
Here are a few beautiful perennials and shrubs which can be planted in September:
Late-summer flowering shrubs which are past their peak can be pruned now. This includes:
Perennial herbs can be planted now into borders or containers:
The growing season of annual and herbaceous herbs can be extended by bringing them indoors:
Plant them in an attractive container if bringing into the house, and move to the windowsill or conservatory. Alternatively, a greenhouse can provide a suitable environment to keep the herbs in leaf for a little longer.
Herbs can be picked fresh or harvested and kept for use over the winter. Just a pinch can transform the flavour of a dish. Pick, wash, chop and freeze the following:
Some herbs are evergreen and will sit in the garden ready to be picked all year round:
There are plenty of bulbs which can be planted in September to give the garden a flush of colour next year:
Spring bedding can be planted straight outside:
Seeds of the following flowers can also be sown outside now:
There are a few key maintenance tasks to continue into September to keep flowers looking good:
Prepare for next year by doing the following:
Mowing your lawn in September:
Watering your lawn in September:
Lawn problems to look out for in September:
Lawn finishing touches in September:
Rejuvenating the lawn in September:
Towards the end of September is also a good time to lay new turf.