How to deadhead dahlia plants
It can be tricky to tell the difference between a spent dahlia flower and a new bud, but learning to identify them is key to successful deadheading, which encourages more blooms. Here’s how to distinguish between the two: New Bud:…
Provide water for wildlife
Providing fresh water in your garden is one of the easiest and most vital tasks you can undertake. A dry spell is always possible. Even as autumn approaches, natural water sources such as puddles and small streams can be scarce….
If only gardeners understood slugs
Slugs often get a bad reputation in the garden, but their behaviour is actually a reaction to how gardeners keep things tidy. In the wild, like in woodlands and other natural areas, slugs are not pests. Instead, they play an…
Time to pot up prepared Hyacinths
Planting prepared hyacinth bulbs is a simple, rewarding process. It brings the promise of beautiful, fragrant blooms to your home, often in time for Christmas or late winter. Prepared bulbs have been pre-chilled, which mimics the natural cold period they…
What to do in September
September is a pivotal month for easy-care gardening, offering a blend of both winding down and preparing for the next season. This is the perfect time to deadhead spent blooms, especially on perennials and roses, to encourage a final flush…
Dividing plants in September
Dividing perennial plants is a fundamental gardening task that offers a host of benefits, and September is an ideal time to perform this chore. As the vibrant growth of summer begins to wane, the cooler temperatures and increased rainfall of…
Get new plants for free by taking cuttings
September is a great time to propagate plants from cuttings, a simple and free way to get more plants for your garden. The new growth from spring and early summer has now matured, reaching a stage that gardeners call “semi-ripe”…
Take stock of your garden
September is an ideal time to reflect on your garden’s past year. As summer blooms fade and foliage changes, walk through your garden with a critical eye. Observation is one of the most valuable tools for ensuring next season’s success….
Continue to deadhead spent flowers
September marks a transitional period in the garden, as the vibrant displays of summer begin to wane and a subtle autumnal palette takes hold. For the low-maintenance gardener, this is not a time for intense work, but rather for focused…
Leave some seed heads for wildlife
For the easy-care gardener, September is a month of thoughtful decisions. While the impulse to deadhead every spent flower for a tidy finish is strong, a truly wildlife-friendly approach involves pausing to consider the bigger picture. Leaving some spent flowers…