The sun is set; the swallows are asleep;

The bats are flitting fast in the gray air;

The slow soft toads out of damp corners creep,

And evening’s breath, wandering here and there

Over the quivering surface of the stream,

Wakes not one ripple from its summer dream.

By Gordon the Gardener

Percy Bysshe Shelley, the Romantic poet, drowned in 1822, when his boat sank in a storm in the Gulf of Spezzia, Italy. His body was cremated by the shore aged 40.

Shelley with his words of summer, which is now coming to an end as we drift into autumn, brings us to what we grew over this most trying of summers, what was successful and what was not.

Tomatoes have had a hard time of it, fruits have taken their time to ripen. My own tomatoes are only just maturing – the very bottom truss is only ready now the first week of September! I was harvesting them in July last year.

It all comes down to a lack of sunlight which is the most important element in any plant’s development – more so than those of water feed and heat.

We can help by applying high potash liquid feeds but in a season when we have gained very little assistance from the weatherman (Small Paul has a lot to answer for!) this feed has only made a small difference.

Potatoes, on the other hand, have cropped well with the rain boosting them up, and the cold summer keeping potato blight at bay. Warm, wet and humid conditions allow blight to spread.

Onions have also enjoyed the liquid refreshment all the early rain brought, as onions don’t put on much growth after July. So mine have been good (below).

 

 

This is one of the few years I have not had to top up my water butts, which have been topped up with natural H20!

Butterflies have been few and far between. I have seen a few small tortoiseshells and only one Red Admiral so we must all work with nature to help them. There was some advice in my June column HERE.

As we enter September continue deadheading and feeding hanging baskets and window boxes. Don’t drop your guard on weeds – keep up with the hoe.

September is also time to sow a lawn. Seed is much better in the long run rather than buying and laying turf. Your local nursery will advise and supply the correct mixture of seed.

Don’t forget to heat the greenhouse to protect from the worst of the winter. It’s coming soon!