Paradise Memorial Garden, Pueblo West

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September in the Garden

  • Ranunculus
    Ranunculus
  • Gerbera Daisy
    Gerbera Daisy
  • Peony
    Peony
  • Sweet Pea
    Sweet Pea
  • Tweedia
    Tweedia
  • Delphinium
    Delphinium
  • Cone Flower
    Cone Flower
  • Gallardia
    Gallardia
Ranunculus
Ranunculus
I love September in the garden - the flowers are big and colorful, with not much room left for sneaky weeds!  The fruits of your labor are in full view (literally if you have planted herbs and vegetables).  Butterflies and migrating hummingbirds still flit about in our warm weather days, as much appreciative of the garden beauty as I am.

Lawn Care:

There is still time to patch bare spots in the lawn - scratch the dirt with your hand rake to remove dead grass.  Add some dirt to the patch to even out the surface of the lawn and sprinkle some grass seed.  Cover lightly with compost or dirt so the seeds don't go straight to the birds.  The cooler nights and wetter weather will give the patches a great start.  It's a great time to fertilize as well.  Products such as Revive, which help hold moisture will still greatly enhance the growth of your lawn.


Shrub and Trees:

If you have an evergreen that needs pruning, do so as soon as the new growth turns a darker green.
That lacey vine you have planted on the fence should be taking off like Jumanji at this point- be sure to cut this back occasionally so your gate still opens and closes and to try to tame it a little bit!.  Prune it way back with an edger every other year or just before snowfall.

Annuals, Perennials and Bulbs:
Sow seeds of next year's biennial flowers, such as Forget-me-nots, sweet William and Foxglove.  Your local nurseries and home improvement stores usually have asters on sale this time of year, and although time is short before the end of growing season, they'll come back again next year and your garden will be well prepared.  Plant spring flowering bulbs now when you can easily notice the skimpy spots in your garden beds.  Plant perennials to take advantage of cool weather and rainfall.


Fruit and Vegetable Gardens:

You should have a lovely second harvest of strawberries and big, fat raspberries!  I just throw mine in the freezer just like they are - for quick ice cream toppings in the winter.  They also make a delightful smoothie as a reward for all your hard work. Hurray for breakfast berries in the garden!  The canning tomatoes in my garden are getting huge and provide me with a tasty "apron-full" every day now.  If you get too tired of caprese salad (nearly impossible, I know) - combine those gorgeous tomatoes with your basil from the herb garden to make a delicious sauce to take you through the winter.

Sage leaves can be cut and frozen individually on cookie sheets.  After freezing overnight, scoop them up and put them in a ziplock bag.  Remember to always brown your sage leaves (brown butter is the best, by the way) and never serve sage raw.  I harvested a good bushel of basil, picked all the leaves off the steams, washed and chopped them up with a little olive oil in the food processor.  Then I stuffed them in to ice cube trays and froze overnight.  The next day, pop out the "basil cubes" and put in zip lock for fresh basil all year.


Weeding:

One more go 'round, that's what I say.  Once more I'll get all the weeds out of the gardens, dead head the corn flowers and daisies and give the gardens a quick spruce up before the transition to winter.  




Happy Gardening!