Worplesdon Garden Club is a friendly and enthusiastic club which meets every second Tuesday of the month from 8-10pm in the Old Church, Emmanuel Parish Centre, Stoughton, Guildford, GU2 9SJ with doors open from 7.45pm.

Worplesdon Garden Club is a friendly and enthusiastic club which meets every second Tuesday of the month from 8-10pm in the Old Church, Emmanuel Parish Centre, Stoughton, Guildford, GU2 9SJ with doors open from 7.45pm.

September: Marina Christopher – ‘Late Summer Flowers & Ornamental Grasses’, Tuesday 13th September.
October: Jim McDonald – ‘Growing Sweet Peas’, Tuesday 11th October.

Gardening hints and tips for September & October

• Keep late flowering annuals and perennials flowering until the first frosts by regular deadheading
• Take cuttings of most half-hardy or tender perennials such as fuchsias, salvias and pelargoniums, as well as semi-ripe cuttings of woody shrubs such as rosemary and lavender
• As early flowering annuals begin to fade, choose a warm, dry day to collect seed and store in paper envelopes or pouches made from folded kitchen paper
• Fill in any gaps in the garden with spring bedding such as pansies, forget-me-nots and bellis
• September and October are perfect times to divide congested clumps of many perennials after they have finished flowering. Dig up, divide, replant, and water-in well. The warmth of the soil will mean they will re-establish quickly. If the clump is very large it is usually best to only take new plants from the edge and discard the older, woody centre.
• In the vegetable garden, continue to pick beans, peas, tomatoes, courgettes, and cucumbers to continue your supply
• Winter onions and garlic (hardneck) can be planted now, but not in the same location as the previous crop – ideally, rotate vegetable beds on a 3 or 4-year cycle: Onions & Roots > Potatoes > Brassicas > Legumes
• If we finally have some adequate rain, lawns will quickly start to recover, but may need some autumn maintenance. Scarify to remove thatch, aerate, and apply a lawn feed suitable for autumn application (low nitrogen, high potassium) as well as addressing weeds with selective herbicides if required. New areas of grass should be sown now, or thin areas of lawn raked and overseeded.
• Many hardy annuals such as cornflower, Ammi, and sweet peas can also be sown now for an early display next summer, or perhaps sow a patch of wildflowers, but choose the right seed mix for your soil type and aspect (light, moisture, etc.)
• Annual herbs can also be sown now then brought inside to provide a supply in early winter.
• Apply last year’s leaf mould to beds and borders to make space before this year’s leaves start to fall
• Remove the growing top of tomato plants to encourage the ripening of existing trusses
• Start planning for the first frosts of the year and move the most precious or the most tender plants to a sheltered spot, or under cover
• Remove any pot saucers and raise outdoor pots up onto feet to prevent waterlogging over winter
• Dahlia and Begonia tubers should be lifted once the top foliage has turned black with the first frosts of October – Lift carefully to avoid damaging the tubers, trim off the dead foliage, label, then store in dry sand or compost in a cool, frost-free place. Alternatively, apply a thick layer of mulch over the plants in situ to protect the tubers from frost.
• Catalogues and websites for seeds, bulbs, and bare-rooted shrubs are available now so start planning how to make your garden even more spectacular.