A professional gardener has shared the five most important jobs to tick off your list this month – including which flowers to plant now to enjoy beautiful blooms throughout September, as well as which ones you ought to avoid.
For people lucky enough to have a garden, yard or other enviable outdoor space, sprucing it up and injecting a little colour is a common goal to enhance the area’s overall look and feel. Creating a private sanctuary and retreat from the hustle and bustle is something many green-fingered enthusiasts hope to achieve.
With that in mind, many people turn to social media for tips and advice from professionals willing to share their knowledge and expertise.
Five Key September Jobs
Trained horticulturist, flower grower and content creator Michelle Washington-Jenkins – who runs the brand Florian’s Botanical – has amassed a devoted online following after consistently sharing her professional insight, recommendations and more. In a recent video posted to TikTok and Instagram, Michelle detailed “five of the most important jobs you can do in your flower garden this September”.
Narrating, she explained: “So wildflowers and hardy annuals. September is ideal for wildflowers - poppies, cornflowers, calendula, and Ammi. Plant spring bulbs, get daffodils, crocuses, and alliums in now, but leave tulips until later.
“Lift and divide perennials, split congested clumps while the soil is still warm, and replant the strongest pieces.
“Gather ripe seed on a dry day, pop them in an envelope and label and plant new perennials at the end of September.”
Michelle added: “Warm soil and autumn moisture make September an excellent planting month.”
What to Plant and When
In the caption accompanying her video, Michelle elaborated on the jobs to complete now. Still, there was one thing to avoid - Michelle urged gardeners to “buy tulips while the best cultivars and bulb sizes are available” but said “traditionally these are planted later in autumn”, so it’s best to wait until then before planting them.
The first job on the list was to “sow wildflowers and hardy annuals” because “early autumn is an ideal sowing window, particularly on lighter, free-draining soils.” She reiterated that “wildflowers, poppies, cornflowers, calendula and Ammi can all be sown now, allowing roots to establish before winter”. She added: “On heavy, wet soils, spring sowing can be safer.”
The second job she recommended was to plant “spring-flowering bulbs” like “daffodils, crocus and hyacinths” which are “best planted in early autumn, with daffodils ideally going in during September”. Third on her list was to “lift and divide herbaceous perennials”.
Perennials, Seed Saving and New Plants
Michelle explained: “September is an excellent time to divide tired or congested summer-flowering perennials. Remove weak or woody centres, retain vigorous outer sections and replant promptly. Division rejuvenates established plants and can improve flowering next year.”
The fourth entry on her checklist was to “collect and save seed” - but it’s important to “wait until seedheads are fully ripe and collect on a dry day”. Michelle said to allow any seeds “to dry thoroughly before storing it in labelled paper envelopes somewhere cool and dry”.
Finally, Michelle recommended planting “new perennials” because as September progresses, the “combination of warm soil and increasing moisture creates very good conditions for root establishment”. She said: “Planting now gives perennials time to develop a root system before winter dormancy.”
Michelle added: “September isn’t simply about putting the garden to bed. Much of the work we do now - propagation, planting, division and seed saving - is laying the foundations for next year’s garden.”
