Plant of the month: Lavenders
September is all about lavenders. Loved for their fragrant flowers in pretty pink, lavender, white or green, lavenders attract bees. With silvery-green, fragrant foliage, lavender makes an ideal informal hedge, or plant in borders and perennial gardens. Originally from the Mediterranean, these plants thrive in well-drained soil and full sun. Prune to remove spent flowers.
What else to plant
Also plant hydrangeas, fuchsias with their vibrant colours and jasmine. Star jasmine Trachelospermum jasminoides is a great choice. With its glossy leaves and scented flowers, train it to grow on a trellis, or use it as a ground cover.
Sow parsnip seed. They do best if sown directly into weed-free beds. Herbs such as coriander, parsley and oregano as well as lettuces are good planted now too.
If you’re in a frost-free area, get your potatoes in for a Christmas harvest. There are many varieties available so get some advice on what will work for your region and your needs. Potatoes don’t like frost, so plant yours after the last one is expected. Potatoes take about three to four months to fully mature. A good indicator of this is when the tops die down.
Our perfect plant promise
Remember the Perfect Plant Promise. All our plants (except seedlings) are guaranteed for 12 months. If you're not 100 per cent happy, return your plant (with receipt or tax invoice) and we'll refund it.
Maintenance
There’s plenty to do in September as temperatures warm in the South Island.
First up, get into some lawn maintenance. It’s the perfect time to repair lawns and sow grass seed on any bare patches. Give your lawn some fertiliser, it will give it a boost as the weather warms. But on recently sown lawn, be careful that the fertiliser you use, doesn’t burn or damage the new grass seedlings.
Be vigil on weeds because as soon as the soil warms, they start to grow. To help prevent this, mulch, mulch and mulch. Use pea straw or Lucerne, which break down over time and help improve the soil. Mulching will protect the soil and also help to retain moisture.
Keep an eye out for pests. As the weather warms, they too become active.
Harvest
Citrus are ready to pick from trees right now. This includes limes, mandarins and lemons. Pick persimmons too. As well as tamarillos. Be sure they are ripe as unripened fruit are slightly toxic. Ripeness colour depends on the variety but ranges from yellow to red and purple.
There’s no doubt that September is a great time to be in the garden. Get out and enjoy getting your hands in the dirt. With the warmer weather, there’s no excuse!
Start planting today
Check out the wide range of plants available at your local Bunnings Warehouse and bring your garden to life.
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