THE GENEROUS GOLDEN MONTH OF SEPTEMBER
Reap what you have sown September is a grand month for harvesting the fruits of your labours . The shorter days might find you picking autumn raspberries , enjoying the last of your peas and runner beans , trying to harvest the lettuces before the slugs reduce them to slime , picking your courgettes and digging up your remaining potatoes , making sure not to leave any behind . This is also the beginning of the harvest for early apple varieties , as well as for pears , medlars and quince .
September is an excellent time to assess the success of your outdoor space . Did it perform in the way you hoped ? Did you have enough colour , adequate screening from the
wind , usable shade and shelter from sun and rain , and visual interest that delighted you ? Was your paving or hard surfacing ideal for your needs ? Did you get around to using your garden table and chairs as often as you hoped ? If not – why ? It ’ s a good time to move things around and to plan for next year .
Bear in mind that , with climate change , seasons are likely to gradually merge over time . A hot summer has never been guaranteed in the UK so we should work with what we are given . The winters tend to be warmer than those in the past . Many insects can now survive over the cool season and there are likely to be continental pests that can now thrive . Keep an eye out for pests and try to attract as many birds as possible to the garden so that they can clean up . It is thought that our feathery friends will eventually develop a taste for box caterpillars , for example , given a few more seasons of plenty .
This can be a wonderfully golden and generous month , with soft light levels and welcome warmth . Don ’ t forget to notice and enjoy it , rather than mourn the passing of summer .
Good gardeners tend to be forward-thinking If shape , lush greenery or colour were lacking in your
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