watchingthedaisies

The Garden in September 2018

20180922_170908.jpg

Purple Sedum “Autumn Joy” lifts this little corner of my garden

September has been a tough month for the plants in my garden. They have been drenched by rain, and pounded by strong winds including Storm Ali. Happily, they have survived!

Autumn Hues

Rich autumn hues abound, including Sedum “Autumn Joy”- seen above.

The glorious burnt orange of these Kaffir Lilies brightens several spots in my central bed:

20180920_101227.jpg

Euphorbia “Fireglow” produces a myriad of fiery tones throughout summer and autumn:

20180912_134248.jpgRoses

My Roses are still thriving. The trio below includes a yellow “Pilgrim” Rose, while the red varieties names are unknown:

 

Jobs for October

Division

Division is a job best suited to the months of September and October, or in spring  – depending on weather conditions.

My Dierama, also known as “Angels Fishing Rods” had grown HUGE. You can see them below – in full bloom back in July:

20180716_132643.jpg

All their neighbours were being squeezed out of their homes, and blocked from the benefits of sunshine. A major division was badly needed. However, I had to wait till the flowers had died back.

On Saturday, I enlisted a strong man with a spade, and he divided the Dierama into smaller clumps. I kept around a quarter of the existing clump, and dispatched the remainder to two new very happy owners.

I decided to move the remainder to a new spot nearer the pond.

 

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Dividing and moving them has freed up quite a bit of space for new plants. In October, I am planning to move a few other plants in this central bed, and add others in spring.

I will keep you posted.

Planting Bulbs

September through to December are ideal times to plant spring bulbs. I have been planting bulbs every autumn for the past eight years – Daffodils, Muscari, Crocus, Allium, Tulips…

I will only be planting a few varieties of Tulips this autumn in pots, as everywhere is full up with bulbs.

Top Tips

Plant bulbs at a depth that is two to three times the height of each bulb. e.g. Daffodils will need to be planted deeper than the smaller bulbs like Crocus.

If you want a naturalistic planting scheme, pick up a group of bulbs and throw them onto the ground in small groups. Plant each bulb where it lands.

If you are unsure where you have exiting bulbs, plant groups of bulbs into small pots over winter. In spring, the existing bulbs will begin to appear above ground and you can choose suitable spots to plant the potted bulbs. Simply remove gently from their pots and plant.

Brigid P. Gallagher is a retired natural medicines therapist, passionate organic gardener and author of “Watching the Daisies- Life lessons on the Importance of Slow,” a holistic memoir dedicated to the art of mindfulness and healing from debilitating illness.

 

 

74 comments

  4. Brigid, a joy to witness the Autumn splash of colour in your garden. Sedums are a gift for this season and I head out and admire the ones in my garden everyday (well, apart from storm days!) I like the idea of the naturalist bulb planting by digging them in where they fall and also a great tip about pot planting until the spring ones make their hesitant appearance. I’ll give that a go as I always forget where I’ve planted the previous bulbs! Happy Autumn Gardening and always handy to enlist the help of a strong man!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Hi Annika. Autumn Joy is a star when a lot of other plants are past their best. I forget where I plant things so often so the pot planting really helps. The shops do the same thing but sell them at a premium in spring. Saves money for more plants. 😉

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  5. I am finally conceding defeat, as my garden has run rampant this year for the last time. I am no longer able to machete my way through the brambles and undergrowth that is now almost as tall as me!
    Luckily, I get to enjoy many beautiful gardens like yours online…

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  18. So lovely Brigid– that yellow rose is exquisite! It’s clear your get so much joy out of your garden– (and we do too). I saw on your next post that you’re taking a “staycation”– hope you’re feeling refreshed and having beautiful days of quiet and rest. hugs hugs friend!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  20. Despite the fact that we’ve had a warm fall, most of my garden is fading. EXCEPT of course for the sedums, which are blooming bright and colorfully. They help me prepare for winter. 🙂 Your garden is amazing. Hope you’re having a great staycation. xo

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

Leave a comment