Rosebie Morton’s September Gardening Guide

Wondering what to tackle in the garden as autumn approaches? Rosebie Morton, founder of The Real Flower Company shares her top tips. Here’s your September gardening guide.

Gardening In September: Jobs To Do This Month

Gardens this month have had to withstand torrential downpours to brief spells of baking sunshine. Despite this, stalwarts such as roses, salvias and geraniums are still flowering, and if you’re a dahlia fan, they should be taking centre stage right now. 

September is the perfect month for getting ahead with flowering bulbs. They can be planted immediately for that all-important uplift –much  needed after a long winter. However, the choice can be a bit daunting, so here are a few pointers to get you started. 

Most bulbs enjoy free-draining soil; if your soil is very heavy then it’s worth incorporating some peat free compost. As a rule of thumb, planting depth is two to three times the size of the bulb you’re planting and twice the width apart. After planting, water the bulbs in to give them a good start.

Plenty of bulbs are all worthy of inclusion in a garden and equally in containers. Snowdrops, for instance, are one of the first heralds of spring, with their delicate, ethereal and demure beauty. They’re ideal for planting in shady parts of the garden, especially under trees and deciduous shrubs. Aconites, perky buttercup yellow flowers, are equally good mixed with snowdrops, enjoying similar conditions.

Unsplash

Some bulbs are perfect for naturalising: planting in lawns, meadows or woodland to be left for years to come. Crocuses are ideal for this: crocus tommasinianus, Ruby Giant, Chrysanthus Cream Beauty, Lady Killer, Snow Bunting and Blue pearl are all worth trying.

Daffodils and Narcissi need no introduction, either planted in borders, naturalised or in containers. So many to choose from! But with fragrance in mind, Narcissi Actaea, Barrett Browning, Martinette and Cornish Chuckles are all good. Minnow, Hawera, Pueblo, Tete a Tete and Jack Snipe are perfect for containers, being shorter in habit. Position the containers where you can enjoy their scent as you walk past them. Perfect on a gloomy day!

After the gold of Daffodils, it’s time to move onto Tulips with their rainbow of colours – from reds, oranges, purples and plums. With the right mix they will  flower from April till the end of May. Standouts are Ballerina, Purissima, Orange Emperor and Cardinal Couleur, but I could go on!

Cyclamens also deserve a mention: Hederifolium is autumn flowering whilst Cyclamen coum flowers in spring, both are well worth growing for lighting up awkward areas and for naturalising in grass, with their pretty pink heads and interesting marbled foliage.

To bridge the gap between spring and summer flowers, you can’t go wrong with Alliums, in their multitude of different sizes, shapes and colours. Check out Purple Sensation, Globe Master and Cristophii. Great in flower borders or mixed with grasses but equally good in containers. 

For more September jobs, continue to dead head Dahlias, Roses, Delphiniums and Penstemons to extend flowering. Keep your containers deadheaded, fed and watered so they keep going long into the Autumn, and divide up perennials which are looking tired and replant and water. Heucheras, Hostas and Day lilies all benefit from this.