September – the Ninth Month

Published on by Catherine

How fast the months have passed and how strangely the seasons have shifted, surely a reminder that change is a constant in our gardens. Whether you believe in climate change or not, it’s hard to ignore the signs in front of us when we step into our gardens. The plants in my garden are both protesting and celebrating the strangeness of the seasons. Some plants have surrendered to the heat and drought, while others have been more prolific and vibrant than I could have hoped for. Here, we had an abundance of rain early in the summer, only to be surprised by the heat and prolonged dry spells that followed later in the season. Now, in the ninth month of the year and moving into Autumn, it has been an unpredictable year.

What will autumn and winter bring, and how will I plan for next year’s planting? Will your planting plans take account of the changes to the seasons, or do you think this year was simply an anomaly?

But let’s forget about the year ahead for the moment and get on with this week’s Six on Saturday.

First up we have Hosta ‘Hyuga Urajiro’. This little cutie is spending its second year growing in the garden. Last year it was in a pot on top of a table at the back of the garden. That didn’t deter the snail army that descended on it, eating it almost to extinction. This year it has been placed on the bistro table on the patio where I can keep a closer eye on it. It should eventually reach around 30cm tall, with a spread approximately 60cm. I am looking forward when I can see its long, slender leaves draping over its final pot.

Hosta ‘Hyuga Urajiro’

Clematis ‘Pernille’. Most of the clematis have given up, they haven’t liked the long dry spells we’ve had this summer, but last weekend Pernille produced a few more fresh blooms to display. They didn’t last long, but I enjoyed them while they were there.

Clematis ‘Pernille’

Dahlia ‘Rembrandt’ is the only dahlia that has managed to produce some beautiful flowers. I did my best to protect them, but even though I added a mulch of grit on top of the pots, ‘copper’ net on others, and on some pots, ‘copper’ tape stuck around the top, the dahlias still made excellent meals for the garden’s unwelcome residents. I had reserved a few plants, with a good thick coating of vaseline around the top of the pots and I intended to drop those pots into the border. Vaseline has worked well in the past – but alas, this year, all my efforts were wasted and the dahlias didn’t even make it into the borders. I think that I have truly given up on dahlias now.

Dahlia ‘Rembrandt’

Sedum Autumn Joy. In spring I lifted two sedums that were not getting enough sunlight, divided them and placed the plants along the edge of the main path that goes to the back areas of the garden. This year they’re growing better than I’ve seen them grow elsewhere (they’ve been moved several times). The buds are starting to open now, but I’ve got to admit, I prefer this stage in their growth where they’re covered in a lovely mix of creamy buds and deep pink buds.

Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’

Perennials, Annuals & Sedum. I know I’ve shown this border several times, but I feel it has earned just one more outing now that the sedums have started to colour up. The plants in this border have survived through a number of long, dry spells of weather, and mostly without extra watering. I’m surprised they are doing so well. I never tire of looking at this area from my home office window and I’m willing the plants to last a few more weeks.

Annual Clary, Verbena Santos Purple & Sedum

Cosmos. I have been surprised by the success of the sown-from-seed Cosmos this year. All seed varieties germinated, though not all made it into the soil. I ran out of time. It’s been an exceptionally busy summer for me, the ground has been parched on several occasions and I couldn’t get into the garden regularly to deadhead the Cosmos – but somehow they have thrived. If I am tempted to sow any seed next year, they will be Cosmos.

And it’s here I will leave you for today. But before I go; if you’re new to Six on Saturday, you can find out more at out host’s website, Garden Ruminations, where you can also view other gardens from places around the world. Just click the link and enjoy.

Have a lovely weekend!

Catherine x

19 thoughts on “September – the Ninth Month”

  2. Such gorgeous pictures, as ever Catherine. What a shame about the dahlias, they’re stunning but I can understand why you don’t want to continue the battle. I would never tire of that view either, it’s beautiful.
    I have recently been paying much more attention to which plants coped well in my own garden with the changing climate, so I can avoid those which struggled. But also to note which ones the pollinators in my local area make a bee-line (sorry!) for, so I can buy more.
    Have a lovely week.

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    1. Thanks, Helen. I’ve come to the conclusion that anything that goes into the garden from now on has to be able to earn its keep with the minimum of fuss. The dahlias just aren’t filling the bill – beautiful though they can be.
      I have just come indoors from taking some photos, and (as I mentioned to Fred, above) the new border is covered in bees, and a few butterflies – and butterflies have been rare here this year. I think perhaps our thoughts are going in the same direction. 😊 Enjoy your week too.

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    1. Perhaps we’re simply looking for too much perfection in plants. But it’s correct when you say that some will thrive – though I think we want them all to thrive. 😁

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  4. Another lot of beautiful photos. It’s been a tough year for a lot of plants in the garden. I re-did the south facing front garden (just a border) a few years ago, choosing plants that cope better with the heat and it’s looked pretty good. The back garden has been a different story though. I need to have a rethink when it comes to the perennials.

    All but one of my Dahlias has flowered this year. The slugs and snails left them alone and the foliage was fine – they just haven’t produced any flower buds. I grow them in pots but I’m tempted to put them in the ground and let them fend for themselves – they seem far too much trouble!

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    1. I’m rethinking too – just not sure where it will lead. I have a record of making wrong choices when it comes to plants! 🤣
      That’s such a shame about your dahlias, and very odd that they didn’t flower. Good luck with them for next year!

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  5. Your perennial border is stunning, like your clematis too! I have been making notes on which flowers did well in the heat, but then I also need plants that can cope with flooding in the winter, there must be some!

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    1. Thank you, Pauline. Flooding must be awful! I’m sure you must have looked at Monty’s garden after flooding and how well it seems to revive after a flood. I wonder what plants he has in that area. Although it (normally) rains a lot here, being on a hill, we don’t have flooding problems. I hope you don’t have floods this coming winter. 🤞🏻

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  6. Wow, good questions. And stunning photos (as always!). I do wonder, too, about weather going forward. We’ve always had variable weather from year to year, but it seems to be more extreme in every season, than in the past. Anyway, your potted Hosta is awesome. And the Clematis…what can I say…a favorite flower, and your photo…magical. All the plants here are wonderful. Happy Six!

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    1. Thank you, Beth – our weather is quite unpredictable (sounds as though your’s might be similar in that respect) through most of the year, but lack of rain this summer took us all by surprise. It’s making up for it now though – and we’ve returned to some dry, some wet days. I’ve no doubt that before too long we’re going to be complaining about the amount of rain we’re getting! Have a good week!

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  7. Your Cosmos are lovely Catherine. Mine survived getting singed in some rather hot and windy weather mid summer, but still flowered. Not photo-worthy though! LOL! Our summer was also extremely dry and hot, but that is not unusual here. Every few years we get a damp summer and my hopes are lifted, but then we get two or three hot and dry ones in succession again. It’s been the same ever since I have lived here in Germany (over 30 years), so I cannot really say if the climate has changed. I have decided to add some drip irrigation for when it gets so bad that I feel some watering is essential – even though my planting is pretty much geared up to drought we do have very sandy soil which drains a bit too well! I love the verbena and salvia combination with the sedum in the background, and I agree, the sedum are prettiest at this early stage. What a shame about the dahlias. Mine were not brilliant either, although slugs were not a problem this year. I think I have been finally healed from ever wanting to grow them again too! (But I wonder if we will resisit those Farmer Gracy offers that start arriving daily in the late winter! LOL!)

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    1. My thoughts turned to drip irrigation for some of the borders (for a few minutes!) this summer. But then I had to remind myself that I live in a (normally) very wet area and that the hot dry spells we had this year might never be repeated. I’m sure that irrigation will be of great benefit to you though. I think the only way forward is to assess the plants year on year and see what works best – and exactly how long I have very dry soil. It might have been less than it felt this year.

      I’ll be watching to find out if you add any dahlias to your shopping list for 2026! I know that I’ll have use a great deal of will-power to avoid the very tempting photos and offers from Farmer Gracy. 🤣 Next summer seems a long way off, but what to grow isn’t far from my thoughts! Enjoy the rest of your week. ☺️

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  8. Much as I love dahlias I won’t grow them, if it’s not the S&S then it’s earwigs that get them. I do have a few pots of the tiny Mignon and they have grown well this year, but very few flowers which I find odd. I’m not going to overwinter them this time as I really do need to cut back on the number of pots I have. Like you, my cosmos have been a real treat this year and I shall definitely try growing some from seed again next year. The Annual Clary with the verbena is fabulous. Another one to sow next year. We garden folk are always looking ahead! (My excuse is it stops me thinking too much about the winter months that I detest).

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    1. Graeme (comment above) said “all but one of my Dahlias has flowered this year”, which seems to tie in with your experience. Like most home gardeners, I love dahlias, but last week when I asked my husband to empty the pots, he tried to persuade me to clean and store the tubers. I didn’t hesitate – they all went into the council compost bin. 

      I hate the winter months too, Jude, but I have a list of other activities I want to tackle that I hope will make the long, dark, wet & cold days, more bearable! Enjoy the rest of your week!

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