September is a key month for preparing the garden for autumn, but one expert is warning against cutting back everything in sight. While it can be tempting to tidy up faded flowers and overgrown plants, some varieties are actually better left alone as the weather gets colder.
Leaving certain stems, seed heads and faded flowers in place can help protect plants over winter, add structure to the garden and provide food and shelter for wildlife. Jo McGarry, luxury garden design expert at Caragh Nurseries, said September was not the time to go into full garden-clear-out mode.
Why hold back on the secateurs
“September is when a lot of people start wanting to tidy everything up, but I would definitely hold back on some plants,” said Jo. “A garden does not need to look completely bare going into autumn. Leaving certain plants standing can actually make it look more interesting, as well as giving wildlife somewhere to shelter.”
Five plants to leave alone this September
Hydrangeas are one of the main ones to leave alone, especially mophead and lacecap varieties. Once the flowers start to fade, it can be tempting to cut them off, but there is actually no need to rush.
“Those faded hydrangea flowers can look really lovely as they dry out and change colour,” said Jo. “They can add a bit of interest to the garden through autumn and winter, so I would leave them where they are and tidy them up when spring comes around.”
Ornamental grasses can look a bit wild by the end of summer, but that does not mean they need chopping back straight away.
“Grasses can look really good through the colder months,” said Jo. “They give the garden some shape when a lot of other plants have died back, and they look lovely when they catch the light or get a bit of frost on them. I would leave them standing and enjoy them through winter rather than cutting them back too early.”
Echinacea heads might not look quite as pretty as they did in summer, but there is actually a good reason to leave them alone.
“Echinacea can look really nice even once the flowers have gone,” said Jo. “The seed heads add a bit of shape to the garden and can provide food for birds, so I would leave them standing rather than rushing to cut them back.”
Sedum is another plant that does not need to be cut back as soon as summer is over.
“Sedum can actually look really nice as it dries out,” said Jo. “The flowers change colour and the seed heads give the garden a bit of interest through the colder months. I would much rather leave it there than cut everything right back.”
Lavender is another one where it is better not to go too mad with the secateurs in September.
“You can give lavender a little tidy, but I would avoid giving it a really hard cut at this time of year,” said Jo. “Once it starts getting really woody, cutting too far back can cause problems. A quick trim is fine, but I would leave any bigger pruning job until the right time.”
