Hi, I’m Francesca, although you might know me as Diary of a Yorkshire Gardener!
I live in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, with my husband, our two young daughters and two mischievous cats. Gardening is more than a hobby to me; it’s a way of living. From growing vegetables, fruit and herbs to arranging cut flowers fresh from the garden, I’m passionate about making the most of what each season offers. You’ll often find me in the back garden, experimenting with small space growing in containers or tending to my larger allotment. There’s always something on the go!
Each month, I will be here sharing practical tips and inspiration for what to do in your garden, wherever you are in your growing journey!
Let’s dive into what I’m doing in the garden this September
Here in North Yorkshire, the days are growing shorter, the evenings cooler, and autumn is just around the corner. I’m busy harvesting baskets of tomatoes and courgettes, making homemade pasta sauces and battling the inevitable September weeds! At the same time, my focus is shifting towards preparing the garden for the colder months ahead.
Now’s a good time to thin out the lower leaves on tomato plants to help them ripen. Don’t worry if you’re left with some green ones at the end of the season, green tomato chutney is delicious and easy to make!
I’m continuing to sow quick growing crops like lettuce, spinach and radishes to squeeze a little more life out of the growing season. If you’ve got a greenhouse or sheltered spot to protect from early frost, it’s not too late to pop in some new potatoes for Christmas dinner!
September is the perfect time to think ahead to spring, what bulbs I’d like to buy and where I’m planning to plant them. Daffodils, crocuses, alliums and my personal weakness, tulips (you can never have too many!). I also refresh my tired containers now with cheerful violas, pansies, bellis, cyclamen and primroses for autumn and winter colour.
It can feel like a never-ending job, keeping on top of tidying this time of year. I’m regularly weeding, adding spent vegetable plants to the compost bin, deadheading flowers to promote more blooms, saving seeds to dry for sowing next year, starting a leaf mould pile with the first of the fallen leaves, tidying borders and reseeding bare patches of grass while it’s still warm.
I try my best not to be too tidy this time of year and stay conscious of wildlife. I have a few little bug hotels dotted around, bird baths topped up with water, bird feeders full and I’m leaving some seed heads to provide homes for insects over the colder months. Every little bit helps!
Most importantly though, I remind myself to pause and enjoy the garden as it is. Sometimes, the to-do list really can wait.
