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| Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec | Nature in the garden |
| The
Garden in September
September is normally a month that forgives a poor summer - and the last 2 weeks of month this year certainly did that with warm sun and light winds. Now is the time that all the deadheading .we've done earlier pays off with Heleniums getting their second (or in the case of Kupfersprudel and Moerheim Beauty, third) wind. |
|
 Helenium
Flammenspiel (literally Flame Play or poetically Dancing Flames) planted
just under our kitchen window where it catches the late afternoon sun is
just getting into its stride. Always the last Helenium to open (last week
of August) it goes on and on. In Germany, where many varieties (including
this one) originate, Heleniums are known as "Sonnenbraut" -
"Sun Brides" and it is the late summer sun that brings out their
full colour.
By the end of the month some Heleniums will be looking a bit tatty - cut these back to ground and burn or dispose of the stems which can harbour pests and diseases. You can plant well established pot grown plants and on our light soil it is safe to move whole clumps. However, don't be tempted to split clumps now - small plants won't survive the winter wet. |
 Gaillardias have part of the same family as Heleniums - Composites - having "flowers" actually made up of lots of tiny florets. The other "petals" are called Ray Florets and the inner cones are made up of Disc Florets. Like Heleniums they are great flowers for late summer (and early summer as well!). They are less upright and like to lean against their neighbours for support. Said to be less hardy, we don't have any problem keeping them through winter. Above is "Maxima Aurea" ("Giant Gold"?) with the largest of flowers on a Gaillardia we've seen. |
 Some
species of Aster are commonly known as Michaelmas Daisies because they
flower around 29th September. Aster Laevis Calliope
starts flowering
around this time and carries on into October and beyond. Unlike some
Asters it is mildew-free. Its tall airy nature and dark black stems look
stunning when topped with lavender-blue flowers. They are a good late
source of nectar for bees and butterflies.
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Another brilliant butterfly plant is Eupatorium maculata Atropurpurpurea, which has been covered with Red Admiral butterflies this month. The butterflies name, apparently has nothing to do with the navy, but is a corruption of "Red Admirable". |
 Another
treat of September are the grasses in flower and moving in the wind. Here is
Molinia Windspiel a Moor Grass that likes fairly moist soils (but makes do
with our dry one!). By the end of October it will turn a lovely butter
yellow colour. It is a "warm season" grass doing most of it root
growth in summer, so don't divide it until late May. |
Schizostylis (Kaffir Lilies), like Professor Barnard above, like rich soils and flower best if regularly divided and replanted in enriched soil in spring. They are stars of the autumn border and can be grown as pot plants for indoor flowering over winter. |
