Gardening Tasks for September

Without scattering an array of statistics in front of you, I’d just like to pinpoint a few weather items for you. Higher temperatures for all of us and lack of rain during spring and summer for a huge majority, have left many gardeners wondering how to cope with these Mediterranean like conditions for the second year running.

However it’s not that simple. We have a maritime climate and that throws unexpected weather at us. For example, many of us had a hail storm in early June. But in parts of Scotland, there was hail that covered the ground like snow and stayed there for a couple of days.

And whilst many of us are still gardening in shorts, do you remember that country dwellers had frosts at the end of September 2025?

Climate change is with us and as gardeners we are well placed to help alleviate some of the affects. Lots of green space with mixed planting, not just grass is good for us, garden wildlife and the plants. And help protect all those green spaces around you be large or small. We need them for our mental and physical health.

Growing more edibles, many of which are also ornamental, doesn’t make us self-sufficient, but does help with food security. Because remember, climate change is affecting the whole world, including countries from where we import food. If their harvests drop, they are, quite reasonably, going to feed their own people first before selling any surplus to others. Grow what you’re able to. But let the first place you buy your fresh seasonal fruit and veg be locally from farmers. And perhaps skill swap with allotmenteers who have a surplus.

I’ll leave you with one thought before I move onto tips, ideas and news:

If each of us makes a small change, that small change has become a large one…

3 Gardening Tasks for September

Floral September

Keep deadheading Dahlias, Helianthus, Rudbeckia and other late flowering plants for plenty of colour up until the first frosts. Not only will they give you colourful autumn borders, but they make good cut flowers for the house too.

Autumn planting

Autumn is still a good time to plant herbaceous perennials in the flower border. However, it’s important to soak the plant in its pot beforehand. It’s also vital, given the weather conditions over this spring and summer, to make sure the border soil is in ‘good heart’. For example, unless the whole area has recently had new good quality soil added, dig a bigger hole than is needed, lightly fork the sides, add compost or soil improver and mix in with the soil. Then plant your new plant/s.

I would generally use a watering can rather than a hosepipe for watering in a few plants. However, remember that even in a hosepipe ban area, you’re generally allowed to water newly planted herbaceous perennials, shrubs and trees for up to 28 days after planting.(But check your water company’s restrictions first)..

Spring flowering bulbs

Planning ahead to your spring garden – spring flowering bulbs are planted in the autumn. We have tips for planting spring flowering bulbs for you and there are helpful guides to help you decide which Daffodil Tulip and Dahlia are the right ones for you and your garden style.

Of course, rock-hard ground really will be an issue with planting the Daffodils and Tulips. Rather than struggle with a pick axe (!) in autumn, plant the bulbs in pots instead. If you prefer spring flowering bulbs growing in the borders, you should be able to transfer them – pot and all for ease and no root disturbance – into the ground when the soil softens up with winter rain.

Gardening Tasks for September – Things to watch for in your garden

Do not be disheartened if your apples have dark spots. This is bitter pit and is a disorder not a disease, caused by lack of calcium and especially common in warm dry weather. The apples are still edible, peel them and, as Bramley apples are particularly prone, if it’s a culinary variety, add homey or sugar when you cool them. NB bitter pit may noy develop until the apples are stored – another reason for the weekly check over winter!

Apples and pears may be infected with scab disease. Again, these should be edible once peeled, but I wouldn’t store them.

summerhouse, lawn, tables and chairs, plants in pots, marie's garden, ©️Julie Skelton

Gardening Workshops in Marie’s garden

Small group workshops so you get plenty of attention. There are a range of topics, some seasonal, but for example: –

Free Plants – How & When to Divide Herbaceous Perennials
Seed Saving 101: Collecting & Storing Seeds from Your Garden
How to Prune – tips and practical teaching

See Plews Gardening Workshops for more details or head to Eventbrite to book your place

With a mix of practical, hands on demonstration and guided practice, you’ll go home with more gardening knowledge and something to grow on in your own garden.

Prices from £30 – £53 depending on length & materials provided, includes tea / coffee on arrival & Eventbrite booking fee. There are also Earlybird offers

Location is Biggin Hill / Westerham (just inside M25). NB there are steps as the garden is on a hill

Gardens to visit this month

A small orchard of fruit trees is a possibility for many of us. When you’re short on space, stepover fruit trees around the vegetable beds are both decorative and practical. And if you’re very much in the ideas and planning stages of adding fruit trees, now is the perfect time to visit gardens with orchards! For tips, read How to Choose Apple Varieties to Grow in Your Garden or Orchard

And there are plenty of beautiful autumn gardens open, including some Yellow Book scheme gardens. I love the National Garden Scheme and other locally sponsored garden openings, where you can enjoy mooching round smaller gardens as well as large, eat cake, perhaps buy plants and donate to charity. What other reasons do you need to visit?!

There are plenty of Gardening Visits to look at in Plews Potting Shed blog if you need ideas of where to go – arranged geographically for your convenience 😉

We all like having a nosey around someone else’s garden… so, if you can’t make it to the Workshops, you can still follow Marie’s garden and its renovation on Instagram or Facebook

She’s hoping to open her garden next year in aid of a local hospice – check Plews website and all our social media for updates – – but you can watch the progress until then!

See our @plewsgd Instagram and Facebook page for tips, pics, gardening inspo.

Marie Shallcross, garden designer, Plews, at Chelsea flower show

Garden Talks

Are you the person who organises talks for your local gardening club, WI, U3A, history society, or general club?

Have a look at the Talks page to see if Marie’s wide ranging garden related topics might interest you and your members. Recent ones given include Planting for Shady Front Gardens Trees for Small Gardens, and Record keeping – how necessary is it for most gardeners?

Attending one of Marie’s gardening talks is more than just sitting in a chair and being spoken to. It’s a learning experience and an inspirational journey. She brings her vast knowledge to life with captivating stories, simple explanations and demonstrations.

Would you like more gardening tips, garden design ideas and seasonal gardens to visit?

Why not check out our gardening blog articles on a range of topics in Plews Potting Shed ?

Marie’s writing has achieved Plews Potting Shed’s standing as it’s in the Top Ten Garden Design blogs and Top Thirty Gardening blogs by Feedspot and she was shortlisted in the 2021 prestigious Garden Media Guild Awards. (Fingers crossed for this year’s submission, we’ll find out in October)

Recent blogs include Crop Rotation (what it is and how to use it), and How to have a Mini Orchard in your garden A wide range of topics so theres sure to be one that appeals to you!

“interesting even if you have no intention of picking up a spade”
Thanks Tim, who is a regular reader if a reluctant gardener!

flowers called elizabeth printables product image, marie shallcross, garden writer, plews garden design

Gardening printables for you

A range of free downloadable and printable PDFs on seasonal gardening, garden history snippets, vegetable gardening, garden design, themed planting lists for inspiration, garden planning, record keeping for you and your garden. For example, Flowers called Elizabeth comes complete with a planting list and link to the blog for extra info.