This Month in your Garden - September

The purest and most thoughtful minds are those which love colour the most.

John Ruskin, The Stones of Venice

Is September to be considered late summer or early autumn? In meteorological terms autumn officially begins on the 1st of September. The garden observes no such rule and whilst the mainly dry August and summer colours of fading herbaceous borders make way for the more mellow tones following harvest time, there is still much colour to be enjoyed and many trees and shrubs are at their peak.

Lawn Care Guide - September

A new lawn, a new dawn

Creating a new lawn is a very satisfying task once you see and can enjoy the results of your labour. Having prepared the ground in August you will be either laying turves or seeding. Laying turf is the more expensive route but the result is immediate and the new lawn can be enjoyed into the rest of the autumn. Don’t be tempted to buy cheap turves, you’ll regret seeing the amount of weed that accompanies them.

Lawn Care: Questions and Answers

Q. I have prepared a seed bed for a new lawn. What are the sowing rates I need to apply?

The Vegetable Plot - September

Where the mistress is the master, parsley grows the faster

Just one of many old wives’ tales and superstitions associated with growing parsley, some with dire warnings such as never transplant it. But where would we be without parsley in many culinary dishes?

One solution is to grow it in pots and then move it to the cold frame or greenhouse before the frosts. You can, however, without fear move spring cabbage sown in Mid-July to the plot where they will mature – the plot where you have just lifted onions or potatoes is ideal, so go ahead and lift, along with carrots and maincrop beetroot.

The Big Glut Recipe - September

End of Summer Ratatouille

Easy peasy (no peas though) with fresh veg from the garden if you grow them but no worry, buy them if you don’t.

Ingredients

• 2 onions
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 aubergine 
• 1 courgette or more if small
•  2 green peppers
•  8 small tomatoes
•  2 sprigs fresh rosemary
•  3 sprigs fresh thyme
•  olive oil
•  salt and coarse black pepper