This Month in the garden

AFTER AN ‘INTERESTING’ JULY FOLLOWED BY LATE AUGUST’S MINIHEATWAVE, WILL SEPTEMBER BRING US ITS USUAL WARMTH WITH A TOUCH OF FRESHNESS?

The days begin to shorten, and the sun loses some of its intense heat and our gardens recover some of their earlier seasonal freshness. There is still time to sit, for a while, and enjoy your garden but there are other things to do at this time of year. Keep removing weeds to prevent

In the flower garden

● Start thinking about your garden for next year, as it's time to start planting spring-flowering bulbs. If your herbaceous perennials are looking a bit tired it’s a good time either to lift and divide, replanting or potting up divisions; or to buy and plant new perennials; or take cuttings of the ones you have and grow them on over the winter inside, to plant out in the spring. It’s also a good time to collect or buy seeds for both perennials and hardy annuals to plant for a good start in the spring.

● Now is also the time to start thinking about the coming winter and making early preparations. If you intend to lift and store dahlias and cannas it is wise to find the names of them now while you can still see the flowers and clearly label each plant, then when you lift the plant you keep the label with it. Towards the end of the month cut back and tie in climbing and rambling roses to reduce wind damage during the winter. And if you wish to extend your rose collection, take hardwood rose cuttings from non-flowering stems.

● Finally, to add some colour during the winter months replace your summer bedding with winter/spring bedding plants. It is now time to plant bulbs in pots for winter colour in the house. There are many plants you can try; my favourites are hyacinths for their perfume and amaryllis for their vibrant colours.

In the vegetable garden

● There is still, and probably always will be, work to do in your potager. Keep an eye on all your crops as the last ones come to full maturity, enjoy your last cucumbers, courgettes, aubergines and chillies, and harvest your pumpkins and

By Ronnie Ogier

Ronnie is a passionate gardener and now loves sharing her years of experience of success and failures in her own garden and sharing it with you. Also a keen runner, having been bitten by the ‘Couch to 5K’ bug!

seeds setting that will come up next year. There's not as much to do in the ornamental garden, except the ongoing deadheading to encourage your plants to give to the very end, but if you have a fruit or vegetable patch, you'll be busy reaping the rewards of harvest!

winter squashes. Continue to take the leaves off tomato plants so that the sun can ripen the last fruits. You can still plant out crops to take you through the winter – cabbage, spinach and winter lettuce seedlings to compliment the winter vegetables such as sprouts and broccoli that should already be growing well. It is also worth experimenting with potatoes – plant in the usual way and cover with a thick mulch for a very early spring crop.

Looking after your lawn

● By this time of the year, my lawn is usually a very brown patch with lots of clover. This summer has been different of course! I’m usually telling you all not to worry about your beige lawns, but I don’t think this will be much of a problem for anyone this year. Every cloud…

● If you are starting afresh with a new lawn now is a very good time either to plant seed or lay turf, after the appropriate work on the ground.

Also…

● You can also take the opportunity to brighten up your spring lawn by planting spring bulbs such as crocus, anemones and snowdrops. If you look through the bulb catalogues you will also find some less common bulbs that can be planted in grass such as the Russian Snowdrop (pushkinis libanotica) or some of the smaller fritillaries.

● Take time this month to walk around the garden and look at your plants. Decide what you want to change and use any photographs you have taken to help your decision; autumn is a good time to move most plants while the ground is still warm. Enjoy planning for next year, looking at catalogues and ordering seeds and plants.

Autumn Water Restrictions

As we enter the next season of the year, France still has low water levels and therefore restrictions will still be in place. The VigiEau website gives you current information on restrictions in your commune. Simple enter your address and details will come up on any limitations in yur area, including the watering of your garden (potager and flower beds), car washing, swimming pools etc. It might be wise to bookmark this site: www.vigieau.gouv.fr to avoid fines.