Readings

Chrysanthemums are often thought of as cut flowers, but there is also a wide range of other chrysanthemums. In autumn in particular the range features cushion chrysanthemums, which flower when the days are short. The plant responds to the short days by creating buds. They’re branched, bushy plants in many different colours and flower shapes. Cushion chrysanthemums are very suitable for use outdoors in the garden or on the balcony, patio, garden paths or by the front door. The plants flower so profusely that the foliage is completely hidden. The attractive floral domes provide weeks of pleasure, which is why they’re deservedly the Garden Plant of the Month for September!

Grass is one of the largest plant families on Earth and certainly the most important from a human perspective.  Anyone who remembers John Christopher’s 1950s novel ‘The Death of Grass’ will be quick to tell you that most of the world’s food production is based on grasses of one kind or another.  Grass is also ancient - palaeobotanical studies identify grasses growing 65 million years ago - when the dinosaurs were kings!

Fruit trees have to be one of the most rewarding things to have in your garden. Our forefathers lived off their produce and still today the fruit they bear plays a big part in our daily diets - one of the tastiest ways to get your ‘5 a day’! Apples, pears, apricots and cherries to mention but a few of the fantastic fruit bearing trees that can be suitable for gardens big or small. Fruit trees are beautiful when in blossom and bountiful when laden with fruit. What could be more satisfying than using your own fruit for your pies and jams with the surplus providing an excellent source of food and shelter for our wildlife.

Summer is reaching its end. If you’re lucky, you can still be enjoying some nice days out in your garden until early September, but the time to head back indoors is on its way. Or not? Fall may have arrived but there are still some nice things to be done in the garden! Roll up your sleeves and get the garden ready for winter. Autumn leaves should be raked to the side, plants and trees need pruning, and vulnerable plants should be covered to survive freezing temperatures. Reward yourself after all that hard work with the nicest little job of all: selecting and planting the most beautiful flower bulbs! Autumn is the perfect time to decide which flower bulbs will be brightening up your garden next spring.

When it’s hot, and it still can be well into September, there’s nothing like sitting under, or among trees. Courtyard and urban gardens have long made a feature of compact trees and, with the ranges available now, so can you, regardless of the scale of your outdoor space.