S eptember is quite a quiet month in the flower gar - den but by October work is in full swing as we prepare for next year. Once perennials flowers have started dying off you may wish to cut them right back, however if you can leave them the stems are really help- ful to overwintering insects and the extra shelter for wildlife is a bonus. Seed heads can be parti - cularly beneficial to finches, and a few seeds gathered now can be used to give us more flowers next year. Use September to really take stock of what has flowered well and make note of anything that might need repo - sitioning, dividing or just simply W ith so much being harvested right now in the veg patch, along with it all taking on an au - tumnal feel, it is easy to feel we can sit back and take our finger off the pulse. However, for those wanting to grow on through the winter there are crops to plant out, new sowings to be made and beds to clear as well as the usual weeding. Even if you want a rest from the growing over winter you need to keep it healthy ready for next year’s crops and what better time to take a good look at what is growing well for you. Make notes on what crops have done well in your garden, what you would choose to grow again next year, and what you haven’t enjoyed eating. removing from your patch, then in October as things start to die back you can get into action to make next year’s plot look great! Dividing Perennial plants. Look out for larger well establi - shed perennial plants dying off in the middle whilst growing well on the outer edges. The whole plant can be dug out and divided into sections using a couple of garden forks back to back (look on-line or in a book if unsure) and the new sections of plant replanted or given away as gifts to friends. 48 49 Wow September already! The year so far has given us some real highs and lows in the garden. With most of us forced to spend more time at home, gardening has become an exciting new hob- by for many and for those already into gardening, they have been able to enjoy the benefits of having more time. The humid conditions throughout July presented ideal growing conditions with excellent growth and rich harvests, but it also brought the challenges of disease with mildew and blight threatening our ef- forts throughout late summer. In the vegetable garden And finally In the flower garden THINGS TO SOW/ PLANT OUT THINGS TO HARVEST THINGS TO DO Did you start a square foot garden? D Turnips D salad leaves D Spring onions D Mustard leaves D Radish (winter type) D Pak choi D Spinach D Broad beans D Plant spring cabbage D Plant kale D cabbages D cauliflowers D pepper & chillies D beans D courgettes & squash D cucumbers D tomatoes D main crop D potatoes D sweetcorn D lettuce & salad leaves D carrots D beetroot D autumn raspberries D Keep up with weeding D Mulch empty beds D Make a leaf mould bin (see below) D Divide rhubarb D Take strawberry cuttings After the splendour of autumn colours our gardens can be awash with dead, brown leaves which is far less appealing. However this is nature’s way of retur- ning nutrients to the ground and we can harvest this bounty whilst tidying up our plots. Raked up leaves can be added to a special mesh sided bin (make your own from pallets and chicken wire) or even just heap them up in a sheltered corner. Once they have broken down (6-12 months time) they make ‘leafmould’, a fabulous rich crumbly addition to our soil that improves nu- trients and soil struc- ture. You can speed things up a bit by chopping or mowing the leaves first. Cae Rhug Holistic Farm is a local Social Enterprise bringing wellbeing through nature, horticulture and permaculture. (More details, see ad on page 31) News&Views 235 | September-October 2020 GARDENER’S DIARY Leafmould Rachel and Simon Farr from Cae Rhug Holistic Farm guide us gently through the seasons in our gardens with tips for attracting wildlife, growing food and making the most of the flowers in your gardens..... If empty, your tiny but productive space could now be sown with... 9 turnips or 16 salad plants for leaf cropping or 4 lettuce or 16 spring onions Not yet bare? Then add another ‘square’! It’s bulb time! It’s the perfect time to plant flowering bulbs for a fantastic show next spring. Tulips, Daffodils, Crocus and Hyacinth all benefit from being sown before the end of September, whilst Alliums and Lilies can be sown through to the end of October.