Grasses form a fundamental part of many gardens.  The seed heads of ornamental grasses take on a magical quality as they shine in September’s golden sunlight.  September is a superb time to plant ornamental grasses, like: Deschampsia, Festuca, Heliotrichon, and Stipa.

Has your garden been hosting family sports tournaments this summer?  If your grass is worn through in places, it’s the perfect time to fill in those bare patches.  Purchase a blend of grass seed suitable for the type of lawn you want to grow, and the conditions found in your garden.  If children play on your lawn, or people or pets walk over the grass, choose a hardwearing seed mix with a high percentage of perennial ryegrass.  Store your grass seed in the freezer for a couple of days – remove the seed and sow – the sudden change in temperature will help the seed germinate more readily.  First, take the time to remove any weeds; then use a rake to scratch over the lawn, removing moss and dead grass.  Next, rough up the soil in the bare patches and scatter your seeds.

Plain grass can be boring and devoid of life; my favourite lawns feature flowering plants like daisies (Bellis perennis), clover (Trifolium), and Bird’s Foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus).  Don’t forget to sow these seeds, if you favour a flowering lawn.

Crocuses grow well in lawns; their corms can be planted by jabbing a dibber or planting knife into the grass, then pop the Crocus corm into the hole – there’s no need to cover with soil.

Yellow Rattle (Rhinanthus minor) is a handsome wildflower that takes some of its nutrients from the roots of the grasses growing around it; thereby weakening the grass enough to create an opportunity for other meadow flowers to establish themselves.  If you want to grow Yellow Rattle, this is the time to sow seed.  Purchase fresh Yellow Rattle seed; as these seeds lose their viability rapidly, so last year’s seeds won’t germinate.  A sunny site is essential – Yellow Rattle won’t grow in the shade.  Due to the plant’s hemi-parasitic nature, Yellow Rattle needs to grow amongst grasses.  Strim or mow the grass and sow Yellow Rattle seeds into scarified patches of bare soil, in and around grasses.

This is great time to sow wildflower seeds; although, it’s worth delaying sowings on heavy clay soils until springtime.  You’ll find a guide and tips for creating a beautiful meadow or flowering lawn in this article.

To enjoy daffodil flowers next spring, you need to plant daffodil bulbs now. I conduct Daffodil Trials to discover the most floriferous, longest lasting, and best scented daffodils available.  One of my favourite daffodils is Narcissus ‘Golden Dawn’; its scent is divine!   Discover the top performing and most fragrant daffodils in my Daffodil Trials.

To see my guide to growing a variety of different meadows, please click here.

To see lots more articles with gardening advice for September, please click here.