Mid-September Garden

After a recent post, I was talking to a twitter friend who was asking when is the right time to bring in/ cover over Fuchsias to protect them from Winter weather. My response was indicated towards the end if September. Others, and rightly so, suggested end of October or even up to mid-November was the correct time for them to do it.

So when is the right time?

Well, the honest answer is that it depends on your site, situation and weather conditions. Before I moved to this slightly more rural spot, I lived within the city limits and the garden was small and relatively sheltered. Fuchsias could last out doors there well into December, if it was a mild early Winter. Where as now, our garden is open to all the elements, and as I want to appreciate their flowers a little longer, they'll be moved into more sheltered accommodation soon.

You can see in some of the pictures, Fuchsias are looking very well, and along with Begonias, they continue to provide a solid show of colour. Some of the ones that flowered so well during Summer are having a wee rest now, and may produce another flush of flowers, weather allowing.

As I mentioned before, the butternut squash continues to grow well, and the late pot-grown courgettes (or Zucchinis to my U.S. cousins) are producing nicely, as are my indoor cucumbers (they have a problem looming, which I'll fill you in on, in another post). And, we're still munching away on home-grown miniature tomatoes.

Oh, by the way, delighted to say the broccoli plants are already beginning to produce new leaves, despite me picking off even more caterpillars.

The bed I rejuvenated in August looks great, as does other areas of the garden, and I just live the Autumn hues creeping into the garden.

One tip I have - as the Summer hanging baskets tend to get bashed about a bit at this time of year, if they are still looking well, take them down and sit them in a terracotta pot. They will appreciate this, and, with a little continued feeding and care, will produce flowers for a time yet.

Of course, although there is still plenty of other work to do, it is nice to take stock if what's looking well.

Happy gardening.