September Tips
NOW IS THE TIME TO…
SEPTEMBER IN THE GARDEN.
ONIONS. Now is the time to plant autumn onion sets. Formerly called ‘Japanese’ onion sets, if firmly planted about 4-6 inches (10-15cm) apart, with the tips just peeping out of the soil, they will be ready in late spring/ early summer, before the traditional onions and when prices are high in the shops. Check after planting to make sure that the birds haven’t pulled them out, hoping for something more tasty!
WINTER SALADS. If you didn’t get round to sowing seeds for the winter greens and salads suggested last month, it’s still not too late to do so. These late sowings will escape the decimation often caused by flea beetle, which proliferate in the yellow fields of oilseed rape. The flea beetles make ‘pepperpot’ holes all over the salad leaves. When you touch the leaf, they leap away. If you are determined to catch them, you can put a non toxic glue on a piece of card and run it along the row of plants. The beetles will hop up and be caught.
DIVIDING PERENNIALS. Many perennials can be divided from September onwards. Choose those which have finished flowering and are getting too big and perhaps ‘woody’ and unproductive in the centre. (Those which are a little tender and are happiest in dry situations are best left until spring). You might need two garden forks back to back (and a strong back yourself!) to pull apart those which have been neglected for some years. You can then replant, watering the planting hole, the younger, fleshy sections of the original clump for a better display of flowers next year.
WJN 09
A SUMMER WILD FLOWER ARRANGEMENT
By ARABELLA BLOOMER
This pretty arrangement was Arabella’s entry in the Wild Flower section at the Norton Flower Show.
All the flowers were gathered in the Creedy Bridge area but most can be found along the highways and byways of South Petherton. The arrangement is about 20cm high and contains very little foliage.
The focal points are the Toadflax and the Fleabane and the other flowers are used to fill in. The container is a family heirloom.
