Episode 30: Tatton Park Flower Show & Gardening Jobs for September

Episode 30: Tatton Park Flower Show & Gardening Jobs for September

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Interview with BBC TV's Monty Don from the 2015 RHS Tatton Park Flower Show, our plant of the month; Rudbeckia fulgida var. deamii and jobs to do in the garden for September.

Download: Episode 30: Tatton Park Flower Show & Gardening Jobs for September
File Size: 11.5 MB, Duration: 24' 50"

In this month’s edition of the podcast we talk to TV garden show presenter Monty Don at the 2015 RHS Tatton Park Flower show. We also look at seasonal gardening jobs to do in the garden during the month of September and our plant of the month for September.

September is here, it is a month that can provide a brief extension of summer or it can herald the beginning of the autumn season. The weather can still be quite warm and dry. September can often be a quiet month in the garden with a lack of colour as we await one of the highlights of the gardening year; autumn leaf colour, or ‘the fall’ as the Americans call it. But there are many plants that look fresh and full of colour during September, making it another very enjoyable month to be in the garden.

Review of the RHS Tatton Park Flower Show

  • Water gardens
  • Carnival theme across the whole show with carnival dancers
  • Young garden designer of the year; 3 finalists, English Country Garden themed
  • Council Flower beds, only 3 this year

Click here to view photos of the 2015 RHS Tatton Park flower show on our Facebook page.

Plant of the Month

Our plant of the month for September is Rudbeckia fulgida var. deamii.

  • Also known as Deam's coneflower or Black-eyed Susan
  • Clump forming, erect, herbaceous perennial
  • RHS Award of Garden Merit
  • H7 - hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20C)
  • Full sun or partial shade
  • Flowers: Long flowering, August to October; yellow/organge daisy like flowers with a blackish-brown eye in its centre, 7cm across on erect stems
  • Oval shaped, hairy dark green leaves
  • Soil: Moderately fertile, moist but well drained. Good in improved clay soils.
  • Height up to 60cm, spread 45cm
  • Average growth rate, 2-5 years to maturity
  • Make good cut flowers
  • Generally pest and disease free, although slugs can damage young growth
  • Deadhead faded flowers
  • Propagate by division in spring or autumn, or by seed in spring under a cold frame

Jobs in the Garden

  • Transplant Evergreen Trees and Shrubs
    • Providing they are not too big; the younger the better, September is an excellent month to transplant evergreen trees and shrubs if you think you might have planted them in the wrong place, or you think it’s just time to re-organise a border.
    • Prepare the hole into which the plant is to be moved into first, because when you dig the plant up you want it back in the ground as quickly as possible to prevent the roots drying out.
    • After you have dug the hole and dug in plenty of well-rotted manure or garden compost into the base, it is time to dig up the plant.
    • Take your time and dig as deep as you can to minimise root damage and to end up with the biggest possible root-ball.
    • Make sure you get some help to lift the plant into the freshly dug hole.
    • Make sure the top of the root-ball is level with the soil surface and then backfill the soil, firming down carefully with your heels as you go.
    • Finally water daily as there will inevitably have been some root damage and the plant needs to be in ‘intensive care’ for a few weeks after the transfer.
  • Plant Spring Bulbs
    • Daffodils, Winter aconites, Crocuses, Hyacinths and Scillas can all be planted this month.
    • Refer carefully to the planting instructions for each type of bulb, make sure you plant them at the correct depth and allow enough space between each bulb in the planting hole.
    • If you have heavy, poorly drained soil in your garden, add grit or sand into the planting hole and around the crowns of the bulbs to prevent rot in wet weather.
  • Sow Grass Seed or Lay Turf
    • September is just about the best month to sow grass seed for a new lawn or lay turf. Or you may have worn patches of an otherwise good lawn that need repairing/re-seeding. The weather this month is usually perfect for the job because the soil is still warm and the chances of rainfall are higher.
  • A good month for new additions to the garden, usually reliably moist weather makes it a good time for planting
  • Dead-heading
  • Regular lawn mowing (raise the height of cut in very dry weather)
  • Trim border edges
  • Regularly spray roses against greenfly and black-spot
  • Water and feed containers and hanging baskets regularly
  • Take cuttings of pinks and carnations

In the Vegetable Garden

  • Sow seeds inside of: Lettuce
  • Sow seeds outside of: Spinach and Radish
  • Harvest: Peas, French beans, Tomatoes, Onions, Radish, Carrots, Turnips, Beetroot, Spinach, Cauliflowers, Cabbages, Lettuce, Globe artichokes, Broad beans, Runner beans, Marrows, Courgettes, Cucumbers, Potatoes, Swiss Chard, Broccoli, Sweetcorn, Aubergine, Peppers, Pumpkins and Brussels Sprouts.

Forthcoming Garden and Flower Shows

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