September in the Garden

What a summer we have had! The outside tomatoes got blight but happily the potatoes didn’t and have been safely lifted and stored for the rest of the year. I managed to salvage a lot of the green tomatoes unaffected by blight and have been making green tomato chutney. The onions, shallots and garlic were all very small but the runner beans are fantastic and so is the spinach; the celeriac, beetroot and kohl rabi are also very good this year.
In the greenhouse the capsicum are excellent, I grew only two varieties Hungarian Wax a mild chillie and Sweet Banana a long yellow pepper I can recommend both these which are from Simpson Seeds Ltd. They have a wonderful selection of  peppers, chillies, and tomatoes. I can recommend tomato Black Krim and the Del series too, the Dels are bred from Gardener’s Delight, I will try some outside next year, I will give up on the Marmandes which need a really hot dry summer. I won’t waste time on the aubergines again either. A marvellous place to see chillies and peppers grown at their best is in the glass houses of the walled garden at West Dean in Sussex.
Now is the time to buy your bulbs if you haven’t done so already. The daffodils can be planted any time onwards but wait until November to plant tulips. The Appledoorn variety will multiply in the ground where as most other hybrids eventually fade away. Why not try some species tulips as they spread slowly and are very dainty but still sturdy.
If you are in an exposed position grow the shorter daffodils and tulips, also try to buy bulbs that flower in consecutive months and then you will have blooms until May.
Check round the borders to see which perennials need splitting then lift those which have got too large and replant a healthy clump and add some bone-meal. It’s a good idea to go round and collect seed from some annuals to get a free show next year. Label and put in an envelope, I keep mine in a plastic box in the fridge.  Leave some of the seed heads for the birds and for cover for insects. With all the rain the grass still grows and grows, raise the blades on the mower and keep mowing. I am going to take cuttings from the Penstemon this weekend, a bit late but I’m sure they will be successful, I will also take cuttings from the fuchsia and ivy leaf geraniums in the hanging baskets.

Two good places to visit at this time of year are Stocktonbury Gardens, near Leominster. We had a superb lunch there and coffee and cake in the afternoon was also very good. The other garden for a fantastic display of  Michaelmas Daisies (asters) is Picton’s Nursery, at Colwall near Malvern.

Spetchley Park
will be open FREE of charge on
Sat 13th September for Heritage Day to celebrate
Miss Willmott, of Miss Willmott's ghost fame, who was Mr John Berkeley's great aunt.


Miss Willmott's Ghost (Eryngium Gigantium)