September can be a great time of year in the garden as the late summer perennials put on their show in conjunction with the ornamental grasses. The low light in the mornings and evenings create great effects as the sun shines through the plants creating silhouettes and shadows that are not seen any other time of the year. The low light in the mornings and evenings create great effects as the sun shines through the plants, creating silhouettes and shadows that are not seen any other time of the year. It’s a time to wind down a bit in the garden but don’t take your foot off the throttle just yet as there will soon be plenty to do as the plants fade and we slowly head towards winter.
Plant of the Month – August
August can be a lively time in our borders but a quieter time for us gardeners. The dry weather and the heat helps keep the weeds away and enables the gardener to take a break and appreciate all the hard work that has been done in the past few months. It’s a great time for making notes and working out what has worked and most importantly what part of the garden needs a little more thought for next year. August is a great time to find some inspiration by visiting other gardens and this month sees one of the gardens I look after, open its gates to the public. Please see NGS Yellow book for more details – Malthouse Farm, Nr Ditchling.
Plant of the Month – July
July is often one of the hottest months of the year with dry sunny days and warm nights. Because of this our gardens can often look a little tired as most trees and shrubs have done their thing and the herbaceous world is having a bit of a break too. It can be a great time to sit out and enjoy your garden and If you have done all you can to keep your plants looking good by feeding well and regularly deadheading spent flowers, you should enjoy a longer display of blooms and may just bridge that gap between the mid summer flush and the late summer madness.
Plant of the Month – June
June is considered to be one of the most floriferous months in the gardening calendar. With so much going on in the garden, it can be hard to make time to enjoy the fruits of our labour. Whilst I can’t always find the time during these months, it’s also a good time to get out and have a look at other gardens too. The NGS scheme is full of amazing gardens to visit throughout the summer, so make a point of clearing some space in the diary and get out and see what ideas you can acquire and adapt for your garden.
Plant of the Month : May
May is a time for lush green growth and blasts of late spring / early summer colour. It’s a time for newly planted plants to get established before the heat of the summer, soaking up all that lovely moisture still in the ground. There is lots to do and lots to see in the garden and as the weather warms up lots more opportunities for you to get out in the garden and enjoy that some time outside.
Plant of the Month – April
The sweet smell of spring should now be evident in all our gardens. Our lawns may even have had their first trim of the year. It’s a cracking time of year with so many plants sending their new fresh growth skywards, with the changes in the garden noted almost daily. It’s also a time to ensure that your garden is ready for summer too. Any unfinished jobs that you didn’t get around to during the winter, should be done now to ensure that you are well prepared and ready for what the next few months may bring.
Plant of the Month – March
Early spring is probably one of my favourite times of the gardening year, there is a slight glimpse of what is to come as early flowering bulbs and perennials open their bright and, often, fragrant flowers towards the sun. The sweet smell of spring hangs in the air and we can leave the winter behind us. That is until we get some late frosts which remind us that we are not clear from those biting wintry winds quite yet. Be mindful not to plant tender plants out too early and ensure that you have hardened off anything that has overwintered in the warmth of the greenhouse. Having said that enjoy the sunny spring days, get out and make sure you are well prepared for what the next few months will bring.
Plant of the Month – February
February can be one of the coldest months of the year, however by the end of the month Spring is almost upon us. With lots to do to ensure our gardens our prepped ready for the onslaught of the next growing season, it’s time to get out and tick off those jobs you have been avoiding all winter.
Plant of the Month – January
January is often a disappointing month in the gardening calender, it can often be dreary, cold and wet – not tempting conditions to get out into the garden and see what’s going on. However, don’t be disheartened as you could still use your time indoors wisely. It’s a good chance to sit back with a cuppa and start looking at those seed catalogues and nursery stock lists, working out what you would like to do differently to last year.
Plant of the Month – December
At the beginning of winter, December is often a difficult time of the gardening year. It can be cold, grey and dreary with the weather often wet too. With Christmas also on the horizon, our gardens can often get forgotten and neglected and because of this I think it’s best to grab what time you can realistically spend in the garden but don’t beat yourself up if you can’t get the motivation to get out there. Whatever plant debris you leave standing, will provide food and shelter for the wildlife and sometimes when the frosts settle on the seed heads of the herbaceous plants and grasses and the light is just right, your garden again turns into something wonderful. Just because there are no flowers it doesn’t mean that the garden becomes dreary with the winter weather too.
