Garden Notes for September 2026.

Writing these notes at the start of August we are still in a near drought with a hosepipe ban in place. Hopefully rain will come soon and renew everything so that you can get on with your gardening. In the end it all comes down to the weather.

The start of autumn means that many plants are producing seed heads, which we normally ‘dead head’ to keep the succession of flowers going. At this time it might be worth keeping them. With the cost of seed increasing year on year (the average cost is now around £2 per packet, and can be a lot more) it might be worthwhile considering saving some seed head for sowing. Flowers like Sweet William, Love-in-Mist (Nigella), Cosmos, or vegetables like Runner Beans, can be harvested just before the seed pod has fully dried.  Use brown paper bags to hang the seed head upside down and store in a dry place. Remember to label the variety, and then when it is all nice and brown shake out the seed and you have saved yourself pounds for a few minutes work. Unfortunately the lovely hybrids that abound now will not breed true and you will have to rely on the expertise of the professional for that, but if you don’t mind a variety of colour in your Sweet William and so on it is fine.

Whilst the desirable seed heads should be kept, do watch out for all the weeds making sure that they survive. Milk Thistle, Shepherd’s Purse, Plantain and Groundsel– the list is endless, all should be removed before the flower has had time to set seed. I have been having a purge on Shepherd’s Purse that became rampant last year. It seems that no sooner than I have collected another bunch than an equal amount appears on another part of the vegetable garden. In a bit of land where I have a few fruiting trees there has been a huge crop of the weed called ‘henbane’ and I have had to call in help to cut it down before it all goes to seed. Not to say the brambles who are threatening to take over.  I have had a battle royal with one set that have climbed three metres and want to take over one of the apple trees.

September is the best month to plant daffodils outside, so make sure you have ordered your new supplies. New varieties are always being offered, like ‘Easter Bonnet’ which has a white perianth and large pink cup. Then there is another one called ‘Petit Four’ which has an unusual cup that opens out into a ball of apricot.

Carrots should be lifted and stored before the roots start to split, which they will do very quickly once the heavy autumnal rains begin. Tomatoes should be cleared from the greenhouse so that it can be prepared for autumn and winter flowers. Onions should be dried and ripened off. In our uncertain weather it is a good idea to put them into a greenhouse or bench where there is plenty of air circulating before tying them up into ropes. Alternatively, use the mesh bags that are used in grocery stores. They need to be kept in the light and to have plenty of air round them, unlike potatoes that need to be stored in thick paper sacks with the light excluded.

Garden Notes for August 2026.

Laurel is a very useful plant but it is very vigorous and August is the month to keep it neat by trimming your laurel hedge. Some gardeners say that the laurel hedge should be trimmed using secaturs only. This does give a much improved finish, if you have the time. Using shears is much quicker and does not substantially make much difference. If you can allow your compost more than 2 years to compost, then put your laurel trimmings on to it. If, like me, you can only keep the compost heap for a matter of months, it is better to get rid of the laurel leaves since they take a long time to decompose due to their waxy surface.

Dahlias are supposed to be making a come back, having been rejected as being too gaudy. I have always liked them, and wish that I could grow specimens to compete in the Summer Show (this year to be held on Saturday 15th August). To even have a chance, now is the time to make sure that you disbud them, only one flower being kept on each stem. Dahlias will also need to be tied in as their stems become very heavy with the foliage and bloom and are easily broken by gusts of wind.

Cut out old raspberry canes that have fruited this year. Cut them down to ground level and retain only six or seven of the strongest new canes on each plant for fruiting next year. Overcrowding of the canes can lead to a higher incidence of disease.

Spring cabbage can be sown in the middle of the month; good varieties are Pixie, Flower of Spring or Wheeler’s Imperial. Onions that are reaching maturity should have their stems bent over and the bulbs partially lifted with a fork to encourage full ripening. Well ripened bulbs are much more likely to keep right through the winter.

If you have experienced an attack of potato blight, remember that outdoor tomatoes are vulnerable. It used to be possible to spray affected plants but that is no longer an option so, remove the affected foliage as soon as possible. Make sure that diseased leaves are disposed of as far away as possible at the tip or with collected garden waste. Do not put them on your own compost heap to minimise the spores over wintering and coming back to bite you!

Planting up strawberry runners in the later part of August will help provide a good crop next year. If you are buying plants in, make sure that they are certified virus-free stock, as strawberries are very prone to virus disease.

Towards the end of the month, rambler roses that have finished flowering should be pruned. Disentangle the growth from the trellis (use gloves for this!) and cut out all the stems that have carried flowers. It is much easier to do this if you untie all the stems before you start the pruning. All the new stems made this year should be retained and tied back into place. You will really appreciate all the work you have done when they flower next year.

Garden Notes for July 2026.

It will soon be mid-summer and many of the earlier flowering perennials start to look rather forlorn. It may be worth your while to be ruthless and cut back foliage that is straggling. In particular, hardy geraniums, delphiniums alchemia mollis (Lady’s Mantle) should all benefit from this treatment.

July is a good time to be buying new strawberry plants, or propagate from your own runners. You should aim to replace all the strawberry plants that are 3 years or over. Remember to remove runners that are not needed.

Plant out sprouting broccoli, Calabrese, winter cauliflower, kale and Oriental greens. Place bricks or tiles under developing marrows and squashes as it helps to prevent rotting and will aid ripening.

Stake sunflowers and autumn perennials like Michaelmas daisies to help them through the time when the wind will blow. Remember to keep your mower blade raised in dry spells; allow the grass to grow to 3cm. Shade and ventilate the greenhouse.

When roses have come to the end of their first glorious flush of blooms, try to give them a feed of a complete fertilizer as this will help with the second lot of blooms. Don’t forget to dead head them as well. Outdoor chrysanthemums will also need a feed, one with a high potash content to help the flowering process.

Early crops of new potatoes, early peas and broad beans will soon be finishing, make sure to clear away the top growth as soon as possible to make room for crops like spring cabbage – a good variety is called “Spring Hero F1”, then there is Artic King lettuce which is an updated version of the reliable “All the Year Round” lettuce. There is a lot said about leaf greens, and one that is recommended for late summer sowing is Japanese Green Mizuma.

Complete leek planting as soon as possible. Sow swede by the middle of the month.  Lift shallots when their foliage has yellowed and turned over. Make sure to dry them out completely before storing.

Early in the month dig up and divide dwarf and intermediate bearded irises if they have been undisturbed for 3 or more years. Tall bearded irises should be treated in a similar way towards the end of the month.

Watch out for the lily beetle. If you see any sign of damage, and apply an appropriate treatment. The beetle itself is a rather fetching shade of red, but it is their orange-red larvae that hide beneath the leaves that will do the damage.

Garden Notes for June 2026.

There is so much to do in June. Keep lawns mowed, but do not set the blades too low as this allows the plants to survive if there is a lack of moisture. Lawns always look so much more tidy if the edges are kept cut as well as the centre.

In the vegetable plot, make sure potatoes are kept ridged up, otherwise the tubers get exposed and ruined. Late Savoy cabbage can be sown now – use a variety like ‘Ormskirk’. Winter cabbage like January King should be planted out now. Leeks should be planted out using a dibber to make a hole about 6 to 8” deep, and then water it in well.

Continue to make successional sowings of lettuce. Ones like ‘Tom Thumb’ ‘Little Gem’ and ‘Mini Green’ are fast growing, and the right size for many people. Webbs Wonderful is superb but rather large.

Early tomatoes should be ripening fast and the fruits should be picked regularly.

Roses are at their best towards the end of the month. It helps to keep them cut regularly and feed with a potash feed to keep them blooming longer. If you want to have specimen blooms it is advised to carefully take out the side shoots and smaller buds, leaving just one strong one at the end of the stem. Keep an eye out for pests and disease. Keep mildew at bay by regular spraying.

Suckers that sprout up from the base of damson and plum trees can become troublesome unless dealt with early on, so dig them out and burn the resulting twigs.

As alpine plants finish flowering, trim them back to keep the plants neat and compact. It will also encourage them to make good growth for next spring. Any gaps or vacant spots in the rock garden can be planted with summer flowering annuals or bedding plants to maintain the overall colour. Towards the end of the month cuttings can be taken from the alpine stock to increase the number of plants. Root the cuttings in a sandy compost.

Don’t forget to keep all your prize exhibits growing well for the Capel Horticultural Society Summer Show which will be held on Saturday 15 August.

Garden Notes for May 2026.

May is always such a hopeful month, but don’t be fooled by all the half-hardy bedding plants that will be offered temptingly. It is not safe to plant them outdoors. Even if plants like geraniums, salvias, lobelia, marigolds and so on are not killed by a late frost, they can still receive such a severe check from cold May nights that they never completely recover to give a proper display.

But don’t let that put you off getting in stock where you can give it some protection in a cold frame or greenhouse. Use of garden fleece at night will also be just sufficient to keep off the worst falls in temperature and will help to harden off the plants in time for June when they can be planted out.

Go along to the Horticultural Society Plant Sale on Saturday 9 May, the doors open at 10 am. Previous experience has shown that it is very much the case that the Early Bird gets the best bargains, although we do try to keep a flow of plants going. It is surprising how there is a varied demand each year, we try to keep a good selection, but we can never quite predict what will go well and what will stay behind!

Sweet peas should be tied in regularly, especially if you are trying to grow large blooms, as you will be taking out the side shoots so that all the growth goes into the tip. They can be fertilised; use one that has a low nitrogen content as too much may increase bud dropping.

As alpine plants in the rock garden finish flowering, trim back the growth to keep the plants neat and compact. By doing this you will encourage them to make good growth for flowering next spring. In the same way flowering shrubs like philadelphus, deutzias and escallonias can be pruned as soon as their flowers fade to encourage new growth.

Keep up succession sowings of lettuces and peas. Runner beans and zucchini should be sown early on. Because our garden is a veritable slug and snail city (we have a lovely lot of thrushes who help keep the snails under control) we generally start our runner beans in the greenhouse and plant them out at the end of the month. To give runners the best chance, sow them individually in the divided plastic trays (24 to a seed tray). Try to get the beans out before they start shooting too much and become tangled up with each other.

All tall flowering plants like delphinium, gladioli, even some of the carnations will need to be staked, as they really do need support when they are in full flower.

Put clean straw, or black plastic under strawberry plants to keep the berries clean and protected.

Garden Notes for April 2026

April is the time to get seeds going where you can give them a bit of warmth (for the chill evenings) and shelter. Sow tomatoes for outdoor growing; complete your sowings of half-hardy annuals (nicotiniana, mimulus, and antirrhinum for example).

Complete sowings of early potatoes. It is also time to sow celery for planting out in June (if you have been able to solve the problem of slugs!). As always good hygiene, strong plants and a gardener’s eye to spot infestations are best practice

Keep up fortnightly sowings of lettuce in order to maintain a succession. Radishes can be sown. Soil should be pulled up on either side of broad beans to help keep them stable. Winter greens such as January King, Savoy cabbage and broccoli should all be sown from the middle of the month onwards.

As daffodil and other bulbs finish flowering remove the dead flowers as this prevents seed formation and diverts more energy into the growth of the bulbs.

If you want to grow exhibition size carrots, one tip is to drill the seed in small clumps along a given row with about 15 cm spacing.  When the seedlings develop carefully pull out the excess and just leave a single plant to grow. That way they will grow long and straight without getting tangled in the roots of other carrots.

In the last week of April when the weather (hopefully) is warming up those of you with water gardens can start to plant up water lilies and other kinds of the hardier aquatic plants.

Do remember that early morning frosts are a real danger all through April and May, it is not until June, and even then it can be a bit dicey for the first week! that it is safe to put out any vulnerable plants – unless you can protect them at night.

Leave a can of water in the greenhouse to warm up before you water, this will reduce plants getting a shock from icy cold water.  If you are sowing fine seeds (like nicotinia) – water the compost first. This avoids washing the seed deep into it.

Divide chives or mint if they are crowded (dispose of the roots carefully, they are invasive). You should finish planting main crop potatoes, and earth up any early growth. Frost is still a clear and present danger!

In unheated greenhouses sow Brussels sprouts, calabrese, summer cauliflower, kale and lettuce. In outdoor beds you can sow broad bean, beetroot, early carrots, chard, kohl rabi, parsnips, peas, radish, spinach, spring onion and turnips. Plant out onion sets. Peas can be started in a length of guttering in the greenhouse. When the seedlings are ready to go out, the compost will be held together by their roots and the whole row can then be slid into position.

Don’t forget the Spring Show which is on the Sunday after Easter (12^th April).

Garden notes for March 2026

The wet, cold weather in early February is a sharp reminder that the South of England is not the Mediterranean despite what all the TV experts say, so you may find that some of your more tender plants may not have survived unless you had sufficient protection in place before the blizzard struck!

Multiply your snowdrops by lifting and dividing them as soon as possible after flowering, they are best transplanted when green.  It also helps encourage flowering as the clumps may become overcrowded if they are not split every 3 –4 years.

Hopefully we will get some drying weather, and the lawn will need a trim with the mower set high for the first cut.  Towards the end of the month most lawns will benefit from a moss raking using a scarifier if you have a larger area to do.  These can be hired from Hire Shops (one in Dorking) but you may well have to book it in advance as the weekends are popular.

Roses will need pruning towards the middle to end of the month, depending on the weather and if there are still severe frosts around.  The earlier you do it, the earlier the first blooms will appear, but you can also lose all the flower buds if you do not leave at least 3 from the base stem.  Give them a feed with a special rose fertiliser and they will reward you later for this generosity.

Start leeks under glass for pricking out and transplanting at the end of the month.  They are easy to grow and would save you the £10 for 40 plants a garden centre could charge.

Salad crops such as lettuce can be started for transplanting once they have established themselves.  Put them into the soil that you have warmed up under cloches or fleece.

Pansies and violas can be sown now for a show later in the summer.

You should get your seed potatoes ‘chitted’, by putting them in egg trays in a frost free place and exposing them to light to get the first shoots greened up.  If you are daring, plant early varieties of potato but be sure to keep an eye out for frost warnings and cover any leaf shoots before the frost comes down.

Later in the month, watch out for slug and snail damage on emerging plants.  This can be particularly damaging as the creatures are very hungry after the winter and are attracted to plants like delphiniums and hostas.

Cuttings of delphinium can be taken and rooted in potting compost under glass to have them flowering much later than the usual June burst.

Get sets of onions for planting out as soon as the soil condition is right.  When you do plant them out, protect them from Jackdaws who take delight in pulling them out and throwing them around.  Field mice can also be a problem.

Remember the Spring Flower Show which will be held in the Village Hall on Sunday 12th  April.  All the usual classes will apply and a free Schedule will soon be appearing.  You will be able to get them from Carters, Capel Newsagents or from any Committee Member.

Garden Notes for February 2026

If the weather allows, try to get the seed beds dug over early in the month as the frosty mornings will help make a good ‘tilth’ for the young seeds.  But only do your digging when there is no frost and it is dry enough to fall off the end of the spade – otherwise it will do no good at all. Always try to dig in good humus. Some people say that incorporating coarse grit will improve our clay soil by improving the drainage.

In February, if you have well sheltered places why not try some early broad beans, spaced at 20 cm. Young carrots are one of the joys of the garden, try sowing some ‘Nantes 5’ or ‘Amsterdam Forcing’. All the big seed-houses do packs of salad leaves, and these can be grown after starting under glass, since they need a bit more heat than the other crops I have mentioned. Mini-lettuces like ‘Little Gem’ and ‘Tom Thumb’ may also be started and planted out at 15cm spacing when the plants have developed a bit more.

All these seedlings will need to be protected from frosts – use garden fleece as required, but always allow plenty of air to circulate to stop fungal attack such as botrytis which will cause damping off.

Think about getting seed potatoes in February. There is a wide range to choose from. First earlies like ‘Lady Christie’ do well here, although to get the fuller flavour of second earlies is always nice – try ‘Nadine’ then there is always the reliable ‘Charlotte’. Don’t forget to start the seed by ‘chitting’ them using old egg trays to stand the tuber with the eye growing point up and placed in a sheltered frost free spot.

Towards the end of February, start of March, bush roses should be pruned. Use sharp secateurs. Cuts should not be more than 5mm above a bud, and should slope away from it. Prune die-back to healthy wood. Remove all dead, diseased stems and burn them.  Trace suckers back to the roots from which they are growing and pull them away. Always wear protective gloves, the scratches from rose thorns can be nasty. Remember to keep your anti-tetanus jab up to date, at least once every 10 years.

Don’t forget your house-plants, especially on cold, frosty nights. Keep them on the room side, not behind the curtain. Plants are most likely to die from drastic temperature changes between a heated room in the day and a frosty sill at night.

Verbenas can be difficult to raise from seed, the best way to do it is to keep one or two plants for stock, and to take cuttings about the middle of February. Just cut a tip and place it in a good rooting medium and you will be able to have several hundred cuttings from one good stock plant.

Young plants of perpetual flowering carnations should be potted on as soon as the small pots are filled with root growth. Keep the plants in a light, airy place that is cool – they do not like too much heat.

Dahlias always provide super colour in the summer and into autumn. I love the Pom-Pom varieties sometimes described as a ping-pong ball on top of a knitting needle. Anew variety is called “Pink ISA”. At the other end are the decorative ‘kitchen plate’ stunners It is worthwhile looking out for other tubers that you can propagate in a greenhouse, and get them from Garden Centres or from your usual supplier.

Gardening tips – January 2026

Happy New Year everyone. 2026 is the 25th year that these tips have been written, so I must have repeated myself quite often but then, so do the seasons and all the natural rhythms of the year.

This is the time of year when houseplants are most appreciated. Azaleas, cineraria and cyclamen will all help to cheer things up. Do not over water, and most of these plants like cool conditions.

When your seeds arrive from the supplier keep them in a cool dry place until required. Protect pea seeds in particular because mice love them, and they have already got into our garden shed where they have started on anything that they can reach. Remember paper is no barrier to sharp teeth, and makes lovely nesting material.

Rhubarb can be forced using an upturned bucket or tub. This should be covered with garden fleece to keep off any frost.

When seed potatoes arrive, keep them in a frost-free place and stand the tubers, eye-end uppermost, in shallow boxes. If you can get large egg trays these are ideal for keeping the tubers upright and just separated to prevent any infection spreading.

Don’t forget to clear away stems and roots of green crops like cabbages once they have finished and try to get ahead with winter cultivation whenever the weather gives you a chance. Cloches put out to protect seed beds will allow the soil to dry and allow sowing to be started just a bit earlier than usual.

To get the best onions for the Summer Show (Saturday August 15th 2026, this year – make a note!) apart from starting the first sowings this month, you should give a good dressing of wood ash on the site of the bed that you will use, since they really like potash. The show is the earliest day it can be held on, so an early start is a good idea. This will apply to dahlia growers once the weather gets warmer.

Remember to get your mower and power tools serviced and ready for the spring. Don’t leave it to the last minute when everyone else will be trying to do the same thing.

Keep a check on all trees and shrubs, especially if they have been planted in the previous 12 months, to make sure that their roots are firmly in the soil.  Wind and frost can easily lift them and do a lot of damage if they are not heeled in and kept firm. Finish any pruning of fruit trees.  Give them a winter wash of tar oil to help keep down insect damage in the summer months. Fruiting bushes like currants and gooseberries should also be pruned during their dormant period.

Garden notes for November 2025.

All apple and pear trees should be pruned this month. Try to form the tree into a ‘wine glass’ shape to allow maximum light into the centre.  Remember to long prune tip bearing varieties.  Generally cut back ‘leaders’ by about one-third and prune back side growth.

November is a good month to repair lawns with turves if there is a need. It is also the best month to plant bare root fruiting trees and flowering trees in the garden, such as Japanese cherries, flowering crab apples and so on.  If you are considering planting a new hedge, now is the time to do it.

Much is written about composting, whole books have been devoted to it. Usually they depend on time for the material to rot down satisfactorily, but in most modern gardens there is not enough space for this. Two things to consider. Compost depends on having a good mix of nitrogen (from grass cuttings etc) and carbon (from twigs, stems and ash from fires). Always make certain the heap gets a bit of both. Second, bacteria love granulated fertiliser, the cheapest and best is ‘Growmore’. Sprinkle a bit of this on every two or 3 inches of the heap and you will get a faster decomposition.  Any animal manure that can be left for at least 2 months is also a very good accelerator.

Grass mowers should be kept under cover, and maintained so that they will be in good working order for the spring when the grass starts growing again. Tools, such as spades, forks, shears and so on, should be cleaned and oiled to prevent rusting. It is worth getting shears sharpened as they do become blunted with use during the spring and summer.

If you have a sheltered and well drained plot, now is the time to sow winter broad beans such as Aquadulce. Early broad beans often escape the blackfly attacks on the growth tips of the plant in spring.

Provided the weather is suitable keep digging the ground for good crops next year. Where possible double dig in farm yard manure, or well rotted compost from your own compost bin.

Roots of outdoor chrysthantemums should labelled, lifted and put in a cold frame for the winter.  If a cold frame is not available they can be kept under the shelter of a wall and protected with garden fleece.

November is perfect for planting tulips, as cooler soil reduces the risk of tulip fire – a fungal disease caused by planting too early. Whether filling borders or pots, choose a sunny spot with free-draining soil to ensure a vibrant spring display.

Start garlic and overwintering onions, now’s the time to plant garlic, which needs cold weather to form strong cloves. Use well-drained soil in a sunny spot, avoiding soggy ground. Overwintering onions and shallots can also go in – especially in milder areas or under cloches – to establish before spring.