I want to enjoy my garden, not be a slave for it, and with five acres to perform, which means planning. Whether you’ve got a patio garden or a estate, your garden will be greater if you take some time to put down your pruners and pick up your laptop and camera. September is the perfect month to take stock of everything did nicely, what was a disaster and what needs changing.
Take these lawn jobs at a leisurely rate. September is the past reliably warm gardening month for those of us in the northern parts of this region, so enjoy it!
Milieu Design
Time to take stock. As you walk round taking care of the couple seasonal chores I list, be sure to take notes on which plants thrived and then fizzled out. Can it be due to lack of water? Infection? Overcrowding?
Are there any areas of your garden that you are just not satisfied with but can not figure out why? Take some brutally honest photographs. These aren’t the ones to talk with the world on Facebook, but may be taken into a nursery professional for advice. It may be that some plants need thinning, or there isn’t adequate foliage interest to hold the vignette together throughout the year.
Hiring an experienced garden coach or consultant also could save you time and money, since they can help you identify the problem quickly and provide lots of solutions which integrate nicely with the rest of the picture.
Jocelyn H. Chilvers
Plant cool-season edibles. Kale, cabbage, spinach and Swiss chard are favorites. Radishes and lettuce also will have plenty of time to grow and be harvested prior to the cold weather comes.
September is also the ideal time to plant onions and garlic. Cover those with bird figurines raised a few inches with blocks of wood or old nursery pots. Birds appear to like to peck at these emerging tips! Once the roots have established, the netting can be taken off.
For more great ideas on the best way best to grow cool-season crops, enjoy this ideabook.
Gardeners at the marine Northwest will find Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades by Steve Solomon invaluable.
Matthew Cunningham Landscape Design LLC
A bit light tidying. September is the best time to putter. Continue to clip dead blossoms from earlier-blooming perennials, shrubs and roses, but make a few seed heads on plants like coneflowers and Black-eyed Susans for the birds to enjoy.
Remove mushy or diseased leaves promptly (make sure you check at ground level) to reduce the danger of disease.
Le jardinet
Container care. Your containers need to need refreshing just rarely before late October.
Here, begonia ‘Bonfire’ (Begonia boliviensis ‘Bonfire’)proceeds to burst with orange blossoms, richly supported by the vivid foliage of coleus (Solenostemon scutellarioides) and sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas cvs). A walnut (Acer palmatum ‘Arakawa’) takes centre stage and shortly will add fall color to the blend.
Michelle Jacoby, Changing Spaces
If your containers look in need of a tiny pick-me-up, switch out exhausted annuals with seasonal shade spots like asters, chrysanthemums (like the burgundy ones pictured here) or cape plumbago (Plumbago auriculata). Be sure to select colours that blend with the staying container plants for a cohesive look. (Wait till October to add spring bulbs and fresh fertilizer — tips on that next month.)
Le jardinet
If all else fails, cheat! Nestle a colorful pumpkin or gourd into a container to add some life to a summer style.
Smith & Vansant Architects PC
Lawn care. Lawn, pasture, meadow or area — just how can you specify your mountainous areas? We have all four, and when I’m truthful, their definition is mainly dependent on the amount of time and care we give them.
Amazon
Dr. Earth Super Natural Lawn Fertilizer – $63.69
For those of you that are better yard care givers than that I am, this is the month to fertilize in order to develop a strong root system for winter. Organic fertilizers frequently incorporate a blood and bone meal component that consumers love, therefore keep Fido indoors until the clogs have watered it in well. Select a slow-release product.
Prevent ‘weed and feed’ products, that can be an unnecessary expenditure and add herbicide to your whole lawn. Accept a number of weeds, spot treat in the event that you truly need to, but focus on building a healthy yard to outcompete these weeds.
Mow as necessary, but onto a moderate-high setting; don’t scalp it! Leave the clippings as mulch to help conserve moisture and add nutrients back into the ground. When leaves begin to scatter upon the grass from neighboring trees, mow them over too. (When there are plenty of leaves, it’d be better to rake them up and put them into the compost pile).
yardbutlerstore.com
Manual Lawn Spike Aerator – $27.30
Getting air to the roots of grasses is vital, so if you did not do this in spring, then do it today. Many programs are available to make light work of aeration, but for smaller lawns, a hefty whack with a garden fork or spike aerator like this one will do the job just fine.
Most lawns from the U.S. Pacific Northwest region include cool-season grasses, so fall is the ideal time to overseed any sparse regions or create a new lawn. Be sure to do this at least one month prior to your expected first frost.
Witt Construction
Love it! Now it’s time to settle back and relax, enjoying the last of the summer sunshine before shifting flip-flops for boots.
More: Guides for your Northwest garden
