There is a hint of autumn in the air with sun filled misty mornings, ripe seeds to collect and fruit laden branches.

UK Weather In September

In all areas of the UK days are noticeably shorter and cooler in September. Venture outside first thing in the morning and you may be lucky enough to see an early morning mist and catch the scent of Autumn in the air.

There’s usually plenty of sunshine and blue sky in September … yes it’s cooler but these are perfect gardening days. The south and east of the UK may receive up to 150 hours of sunshine this month and the north and west can expect around 100 hours.

Some years we are lucky and have Indian Summers when high pressure and warm weather continues well into September. More often low pressure weather systems dominate bringing wind and rain from the Atlantic. The most northern and western parts of the country may receive over 200mm of rain, the south and east just 50mm.

Hover over September photos below to see the Title then just Click the image to read more.

calendula    Helenium-Aster    Coreopsis    Frog    nasturtiums-are-nibbled    foliage

pink-scabious-300    sweet-peas-300    lavenderbee    NGS    Caryopteris&Bee03    scabiosa-300

September in the Garden

September is the ideal time of year to make some changes to your garden. It’s great for planting container grown trees and shrubs, biennials and perennials. The ground is warm and easy to work and your new plants will have several months to establish a good root system before they burst into full leaf and flower next spring.

This is a great time to make plans:
Before you make any changes please remember that September is the perfect time of year to look closely at your garden. It’s the end of a long period of growth so ask yourself what you really loved and what you didn’t like so much this year.
What worked well? Which area needs improving? Are there any gaps?
Which plants would you like to grow more of next year? Do some plants need moving or removing all together? Does the garden need more shelter, structure or colour?

**TIP** It’s a good idea to start a garden journal with a few notes and some photos to illustrate your thoughts. It will remind you of the changes you’d like to make.

Verbena and Comma Web    leaves    Owl Thumbnail    Cosmos Thumbnail    IMG_6996    Dragonfly Thumbnail

damsons    wildflower-meadow-300    Red Admiral    Buddleja 02    Cornflower 02    Helenium Thumbnail

Growing:

  • Collect seed from your hardy annual flowers then remove the faded plants and add them to your compost heap.
  • Divide and replant overgrown perennials. Keep the strong new growth and discard the older and less vigorous parts of each clump.
  • Plant out biennials in spaces created by removing your annuals and dividing your perennials.

Sowing:

  • Sow Hardy Annuals for early flowering next year. Save half the seeds for sowing in February, March or April.
  • Sow a patch of Wildflowers
  • Sow Perennials for lots of blooms year after year.
  • Sow salad and herbs for picking in late autumn, winter and early spring.
  • Sow a green manure such as Phacelia to protect any bare earth in your vegetable beds. This helps to boost soil nutrients and also provides food and shelter for beneficial insects in winter.

Wildlife:

  • Leave some seed heads on your more sturdy plants throughout autumn and winter to provide seeds for wild birds and small mammals. Plants like Lavender have masses of seeds that Goldfinches love. Plants such as Teasel and Phlomis with lots of tiny crevices in their seed heads also provide hiding places and shelter for insects throughout winter.