Some things to do and to look out for in your garden this month as follows:

1. Lift, divide and replant early to midsummer flowering perennials now for a bigger and better display of colour next year. 

        

  

2.  Replace tired summer pots with new plants for autumn such as Anemone, winter flowering Pansies and Violas, Heuchera, Carex, Skimmia, Nandina, Cordyline, Ophiopogon,  Imperata and Cyclamen.

            

3. Keep your lawns at their best for winter. Raise the mower height to reduce stress, give the lawn a rake to remove dead grass and debris and aerate with a garden fork allowing for better air flow and rain absorbtion. Give your lawn a final boost after all the hot weather by a applying an autumn lawn feed that is lower in Nitrogen. This will tough up the grass for cold weather.

4.  This is the perfect time of year for a re-design for old and new borders.  Planting now while the soil is warm and rainful is higher will give all your lovely new plants the perfect time to establish their roots before winter, for healthy growth and great displays in spring and summer. Check out our 'Inspire Me' section for ideas.

            

5. Remove old raspberry canes that have fruited this year and tie in young canes that will fruit next summer.

6. Plant spring flowering bulbs, such as Anemone blanda, Chinodoxa, Crocus vernus, Narcissus and Muscari. 

      

7.  Give your container shrubs a last feed to keep they healthy through winter.  Feeding later will encourage late new growth that will be vulnerable to frosts.

8. Keep up with deadheading late-flowering perennials, such as Penstemons, Asters, Hardy Geraniums, Roses, Dahlias and Phlox. Eryngium, Papaver, Rudbeckia and grasses with ornamental seed heads can be left for interest, structure and valuable food sources.  

      

9. If you haven't already, then this is the month to give your evergreen hedges a trim to keep them looking good through winter into next year.

            

10. Treat any plants that have suffered with powdery mildew this summer.  Remove infected leaves and treat with sb Invigorator.

11. Keep your feathered friends happy by topping up bird baths daily and cleaning them regularly.  Help hedgehogs reach hibernation by keeping a small area wild and providing shelter and hedgehog food.

12. As leaves start to fall, clear them away little and often.  Compost disease-free leaves, or add them to your wildlife friendly area.

13.  Bring your beloved houseplants back inside.  Check for pests and diseases and water less as their growth starts to slow.

   

14.  Collect ripened seedheads from your favourite plants, such as Papaver, Nigella, Echinops, Echinacea, Helianthus.  Once the seedheads have become brown, cut them off and keep them in a tray in a warm and sunny locaion until they are fully dried.  Shake the seeds out and remove debris.  Store in a paper envelope in a dry, cool place.

         

15.  Keep your herb garden at its best by giving some much needed attention to those vigorous growing perennials, such as Creeping Thyme, Marjoram and Mint. These can be cut back, lifted and divided allowing them time to put on new growth that can harden before the plants go dormant.  Add some bonemeal fertiliser before replanting to help with root establishment.

      

16. Add an extra focal point to your garden by treating yourself to a new tree for breathtaking spring blossom while the soil is warm. Here are a  few ideas  . . .  Amelanchier, Cercis, Malus (crab apples), Magnolia stellata, Crataegus, Prunus (Amanogawa, Accolade, Cerasifera Nigra, Kanzan, Kiku-shidare-zakura, Shirofugen, Pandora, Pink Perfection, Shirofugen, Snow Goose and many more)  and Robinia.

            

17.  Move containers with plants that are vulnerable to frosts, (such as tender salvias) into sheltered areas.

    

18.  If you have bare areas that are constantly filling up with weeds then why not plant some ground cover plants for fabulous displays and convert that labour-intensive space into an easy-care area.  Great ideas for sun include Alchemilla mollis, Erigeron, Helianthemum, Persicaria, Sedum, Nepeta, Stachys byzantina and Geranium.  For shade, try Ajuga retans, Asarum canadense, Epimedium grandiflorim,Tiarella, Vinca, Pulmonaria, Lamium and Pachysandra.

             19. 

Don't miss our annual Open Weekend THIS MONTH!  . . on Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th September. There are a few remaining place on the tours  (tickets are available to purchase online now so don't miss out) which include a cream tea at the end.  

20.  The most important thing to do this month - sit back with a cup of tea or well-earned glass of something special and enjoy all the fruits of your labour.