september forever
Ah, September…my favourite month of the year.
The pressure and heat of summer falls away leaving the literal fruits of your labour for you to enjoy. The light just seems different, and so do the colours in the garden. It’s a month of new beginnings, old routines, and setting ourselves up for the season of rest ahead.
September is a time to capture the bounty you’ve grown so you can bring it forward into winter. Every surface in my studio is overflowing with drying flowers for wintertime art-making. In the kitchen I’ve been preserving mountains of tomatoes, making chicken stock and jam and storing away potatoes. My pantry shelves are slowly filling up for the winter and my need to get cozy and hunker down into creativity mode is leading the way….straight into my soft pants.
While it is tempting to fully give in to cozy-mode, there’s still plenty to do in the garden, and the cooler temps and bright sunshine really make it enjoyable!
I’m fully in ‘plant-relocation-mode’ right now, scouting out better spots for sad-looking perennials that I’ll move by the end of the month. I’m also busy building a few new garden beds and a fun tunnel/archway for next year’s mini-pumpkins!
As plants complete their life cycles in the cutting gardens, I’m collecting seeds for next season and adding the plants straight to the compost. Then there’s the whole ‘putting the garden to bed’ part of fall, which is your best chance at starting the spring off right. My own list goes on and on, but here’s an actual list of tasks you could to attend to this month in your home garden:
Remove spent plants. This applies to annual veggies and flowers that are done their life cycle. Cut them right at soil level to leave the roots to decompose over winter, adding valuable nutrients with zero work! Throw the dead plants on the compost heap.
Do a soil test. Finding out what your soil really needs to have a healthy pH and the right amount of organic matter for optimal plant growth is the only way to know what’s missing. A soil test will tell you exactly what’s needed as far as amendments and when to apply them. I go to Integrity in Saanichton for my yearly soil tests.
Mulch, mulch, mulch! Think of bare soil like bare skin…you wanna cover it up in the winter to protect it from the elements. The absolute best thing to use over winter is fallen leaves. You could chop them with your lawnmower to aid in their breakdown, or just pile them on thick (12”) and let nature do the rest. In the spring when you pull back them back to plant, they’ll have added a healthy dose of natural organic matter to your soil. Just wave and carry on if you see me throwing bags of my neighbours leaves in the back of my car…
Save seeds. Seed-saving is a whole thing, but basically the thing to know is this: wait until the seed head and the stem below it are fully dry and brown on the plant for the seeds to be fully viable. Green seeds don’t grow. Save them in a labeled glass jar with a desicant pack to absorb moisture. Store in a cold, dry, dark place. Note that if you’re not saving seeds, it’s a good idea to deadhead the flower before it sets seed, otherwise you may end up with hundreds of unwanted plants in your compost heap…which could then get spread all over the yard…no thanks.
I hope everyone is enjoying this amazing sunshine and crisp fall weather in the garden. I’m always happy to help, so feel free to reach out with your gardening questions! You can reach me via the contact form on our website right here.
Take care out there,
Renée
PS…It’s not too late for dahlias! Pick up a bunch at 1841 Haultain.
Farmstand Hours: Wed-Fri: 11-7, or Sat-Sun: 9-5.
Feeling like you need a little guidance in person? Join us on the Farm on September 20th for a Fall Gardening Workshop!
See below for details…
Saturday, September 20th, 1-3pm
Want to keep growing beautiful things in your garden this Fall, but you’re feeling like you don’t know where to start in the sun-beaten, weed-filled mess that August left behind?
We’ve got you covered!
Join Renée in a walk through our main garden on Haultain Street this September for a hands-on approach to Fall home-gardening in Victoria.
Basic soil-care for winter (including our preferred no-till methods using natural mulches & organic amendments) will be covered. You’ll also learn about overwintering various cold-hardy flowers and veggies, including supports & protection options.
Leave feeling confident with your Fall garden plan!
