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September in the Garden!
Now is the time to start the clean up and get ready for winter. There's still plenty of good weather on the way, but a few easy tasks now will make less work over the next few weeks.
- Seed any bare patches on the lawn or over-seed the entire lawn to give it a healthy start in the spring. Now is a good time to fertilize as well.
- Divide any peonies that need it. They prefer a fall planting to allow for new blooms in the spring.
- Check your evergreens for spider mites and give them a good blast with the hose. Don’t worry if you see the innermost needles turning brown and dropping – that’s normal.
- Think about spring bulbs, the garden centres should be stocking them by now.
- Keep watering all your trees and shrubs, particularly new plantings. They all need plenty of water before the frost hits. The fall is also the perfect time to plant new perennials, shrubs and trees.
- Prune any shrubs or small trees that have damaged wood – don’t prune spring booming shrubs, the buds are already starting to develop.
- Plant a few cool season vegetables for a late-fall harvest - lettuce, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, kale, Asian greens, radishes, beets and spinach.
- As your onion tops start to fall over, they’re ready to harvest.
- Don’t forget to start to dig up elephant ears, gladiolus corms and cannas and other bulbs that don’t survive the winter and keep them in a cool, dry spot until the spring.
- And yes, pull out weeds (this never seems to end). Get them before they overwinter and go to seed.
- Check out a few local fall fairs – walk in the warm sun - make a fall harvest soup – enjoy the beauty that fall has to offer.
- Divide any peonies that need it. They prefer a fall planting to allow for new blooms in the spring.
- Check your evergreens for spider mites and give them a good blast with the hose. Don’t worry if you see the innermost needles turning brown and dropping – that’s normal.
- Think about spring bulbs, the garden centres should be stocking them by now.
- Keep watering all your trees and shrubs, particularly new plantings. They all need plenty of water before the frost hits. The fall is also the perfect time to plant new perennials, shrubs and trees.
- Prune any shrubs or small trees that have damaged wood – don’t prune spring booming shrubs, the buds are already starting to develop.
- Plant a few cool season vegetables for a late-fall harvest - lettuce, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, kale, Asian greens, radishes, beets and spinach.
- As your onion tops start to fall over, they’re ready to harvest.
- Don’t forget to start to dig up elephant ears, gladiolus corms and cannas and other bulbs that don’t survive the winter and keep them in a cool, dry spot until the spring.
- And yes, pull out weeds (this never seems to end). Get them before they overwinter and go to seed.
- Check out a few local fall fairs – walk in the warm sun - make a fall harvest soup – enjoy the beauty that fall has to offer.
New Plant Selections for 2019
As a member of the Garden Writers Association I often have the opportunity to write about new products or plants. This year I received a number of Proven Winners 2019 selections and have them on display in the garden.
ANGELFACE Steel Blue Angelonia angustifolia - this tall and stunning annual thrives in sunny, hot, humid weather, doesn't need deadheading and blooms until the frost hits. Basic growing info: 18-30” tall x 12-18” spread; full sun; heat, humidity and drought tolerant; deer resistant; great in containers and landscapes; container role: thriller.
SUPERTUNIA VISTA® Paradise Petunia - Basic growing info: no deadheading required, 12-24” tall x 24-36” spread; part sun to sun; heat and humidity tolerant; attracts butterflies and hummingbirds; great in containers and landscapes; container role: filler/spiller or specimen.
SUPERBELLS Doublette LOVE SWEPT - Ø Basic growing info: 6-12” tall x 12-24” spread; part sun to sun; heat tolerant; requires good drainage; best grown in containers rather than in the ground; container role: filler/spiller.
Sweet Caroline Bewitched GREEN WITH ENVY Ipomoea batatas (Sweet Potato Vine) - Basic growing info: 10-16” tall x 18-30” spread; part sun to sun; heat tolerant; great in containers and landscapes; container role: spiller.
Here are all three together on display. It's stunning. The colour is vibrant and the plants just keep producing blooms. Can't wait to see how this looks by the end of July.
There's an old garden legend that states if you bring a hoe into the house by mistake, you may bring in back luck along with it. If you do accidentally bring one indoors after finishing your gardening chores it's best to walk backwards out the same door you entered to try and reverse the bad fortune.
