I Love September For...


... Residual warmth

The garden has developed a definite autumnish air about it in the past week or so and last week's plentiful rain means the soil has opened up again ready to nurture new plants. As you can see I've been nursing quite a few on one of the garden walls over the summer in readiness for this moment.

The lavender are earmarked to replace some woody looking specimens in one of my garden pots on the patio. They're still in flower and the bees are visiting regularly, so I haven't quite got the heart to replace them yet. The brunnera is earmarked for the front side garden, as are the self-sown aquilegia plants I rescued from the back garden's gravel path last week.

September is usually a fabulous time for planting because there's plenty of residual warmth in the soil - even in a clay one like mine - plus plenty of moisture which lets the plants get settled in nicely before winter hits the garden. I've found my autumn plantings tend to do better than spring ones - I reckon it's down to all that clay holding onto the winter's cold and rain and unlike their spring cousins, the autumn plantings have had time to toughen up beforehand.

There's a plant sale at West Kington Nurseries this weekend, so I expect there'll be a wheelbarrow load of bargains to join these plants. I've already downloaded their catalogue and earmarked those I want to seek out in their multitude of greenhouses. It's all part of my ongoing revamp of the garden.

What do you love about September?

Comments

  1. Mark and Gaz2 September 2014 at 09:56

    September is fab because the gardening season starts to wind down and everything become more relaxed as the urgency of preparing for 'summer' is no longer there and winter still seems that far away still. Happy shopping this coming weekend!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VP2 September 2014 at 10:14

      Thanks guys - I'm enjoying that I have the space to plant for once. It's rather nice to be able to buy with the confidence there's space, rather than having the plants languish in the side garden holding area awaiting a new home :)

      Delete
  2. CJ2 September 2014 at 10:30

    I like the tidying away of things in preparation for the winter. I hope you have a good time at the plant sale and find what you're hoping for.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VP2 September 2014 at 12:00

      It's good to have a list beforehand CJ, but also some flexibility as sometimes the desired plant isn't in the desired size. The choice is huge, so there's usually a good substitute to be found. The trick is not to go mad and try and buy everything there!

      Delete
  3. Karen Hall2 September 2014 at 19:01

    Grrr someone ate my comment. Start again, please delete this if the first one appears!
    I have answered your question over at mine
    http://www.artistsgarden.co.uk/why-i-love-september/

    I might have to send you a shopping list for the weekend :)
    K
    xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VP2 September 2014 at 21:00

      A fabulous response, thank you Karen. You have a magical light in your garden this month :)

      Shopping lists are most welcome! xxx

      Delete
  4. Pauline3 September 2014 at 09:06

    Enjoy your shopping, it's perfect planting weather at the moment. At last I can plant all the pots that have been waiting in the heat!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VP3 September 2014 at 10:25

      Exactly :) Have fun in your garden this month!

      Delete
  5. Sue Garrett3 September 2014 at 10:30

    Pity that nursery is too far away for us

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VP3 September 2014 at 10:45

      Yes, but worth looking out for something similar closer to home? I also have Special Plants end of season sale to go to in October and I believe a number of nurseries clear out their stock at the end of the year.

      Delete

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