September's Guide to Late-Season Gardening

As the days grow shorter, September brings along a more relaxed gardening style. While many flowers have already reached their peak, there’s still plenty of opportunity to enjoy bountiful blooms and prepare your garden for the cooler months ahead. Whether you’re gathering seeds to start planning for next year, or cutting blooms to dry for winter, here’s a guide to what we’re up to in the garden this time of year.

Dahlias are show stoppers in the garden during the month of September.

Planting Fall-Blooming Perennials: September is the perfect time to plant fall-blooming perennials that will add color to your garden through the autumn months. Consider adding plants like asters, chrysanthemums, and sedum, which thrive in cooler temperatures and provide a late-season burst of color. These hardy perennials also help support pollinators as they prepare for winter.

Sow Cool-Season Flowers: Cool-season annuals such as snapdragons, can be planted in September for flowers as early as possible in spring. These flowers tolerate cooler weather and do a great job staying in place throughout winter to bloom in early spring. We LOVE having early blooming flowers!

Divide and Transplant Perennials: September is an excellent time to divide and transplant overgrown perennials like salvia, peonies, irises, and hostas. Dividing these plants helps rejuvenate them, encouraging healthier growth and more abundant blooms in the coming year. It’s also a good opportunity to rearrange your garden layout and fill in any gaps with divided plants.

Start Planting Spring Bulbs: As the soil cools down, September is an ideal time to start planting spring-blooming bulbs such as tulips, and daffodils. These bulbs require a cold period to establish roots and bloom beautifully in the spring. Planting them now gives them ample time to settle in before the winter freeze

Fertilize and Mulch: Give your plants a nutrient boost with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer to help them store energy for the winter months. Applying a layer of mulch around your plants helps retain moisture, regulate soil temperature, and protect roots from the cold as the weather cools.

Collect Seeds: September is a great time to collect seeds from your favorite flowers for next year’s garden. Look for mature seeds on plants like marigolds, zinnias, and cosmos. Allow the seed heads to dry on the plant, then gently remove them and store the seeds in a cool, dry place. Be sure to label your seeds, so you know what you’ve saved. Collecting seeds allows you to grow plants that are well-adapted to your garden’s conditions.

Gather Flowers to Dry: Flowers are wonderful to enjoy fresh, but are just as pretty dried. We love collecting a few bunches to hang and dry to use for winter wreaths, and dried bouquets. Not all flowers are great as dried. Check out this blog post for our recommendations for the best dried flowers.

Growing flowers in September not only adds beauty to your garden as summer turns to fall but also sets the stage for a healthy and vibrant garden in the seasons to come. Embrace the cooler days and the unique opportunities this month offers to keep your garden thriving. Happy gardening!

XX Jenn & Adam