Norfolk School of Gardening: September and autumn gardening

It felt as though the hot, dry days of summer would never end, and yet here we are, shifting into autumn.

We all suspected it, but now it’s official: this has been the hottest summer on record.

Still, the first days of September have felt like a lurch into a new season.

As I write, the rain is falling, the wind is gusting, and brown leaves whip around—many from the horse chestnuts, which have looked prematurely autumnal for weeks.

I can’t say I mind the rain yet.

Lonicera nitida hedge (Image: Norfolk School of Gardening) Less than 2 cm has fallen so far this week, and after months of drought, the ground remains stubbornly dusty beneath the surface.

A soaking will revive many plants, though for some it’s too late and they won’t return next year.

It’s still worth watering and feeding, especially pots.

There are weeks of growth left, and the extra effort will extend flowering.

So we’ve been deadheading, cutting back, watering, and feeding on repeat.

Don’t abandon the garden just because it feels blustery—there’s still plenty of life in it, and those small jobs make a real difference at this stage of the year.

Before the weather broke, we finally tackled a job we’d been putting off.

Last year we planted soapwort (Saponaria) in one of the beds.

I should have listened to the warnings about how invasive it can be.

This summer it appeared several feet away from its original spot, weaving into the roots of other plants.

We dug out what we could, thinning and replanting Iris sibirica in the process.

I’m sure some roots remain, but it’s a start.

We saved a few to pot up, where it can look pretty without running rampant.

The lesson?

Always check a plant’s habits before planting, and believe friends when they say it’s a thug!

It is far easier to keep a vigorous plant in check from the beginning than to wrestle with it once it has spread.

Meanwhile, the winter garden is the tidiest it has looked in months, thanks to a fresh mulch.

It’s a slow job—barrowing wood chip from the far end of the gardens—but bit by bit it gets done.

Late summer weeding (Image: Norfolk School of Gardening) The newly trimmed hedge also looks neat for now, though Lonicera nitida is quick to send up new shoots.

Keeping on top of these steady, seasonal tasks is what makes the whole garden feel cared for, even in the quieter months.

These are some of the courses in the next months which have spaces available.

Let us know if you’d like to join us:

· Introduction to Garden Design – 11th September

· Certificate in Practical Horticulture – 12th September (one space)

· Advanced Practical Gardening – 17th September

· Plants for Free – 24th September

· Border Renovation – 1st October

Hylotelephium x mottramianum 'Herbstfreude' Hylotelephium x mottramianum ‘Herbstfreude’ (Image: Norfolk School of Gardening) Plant of the Week

Hylotelephium × mottramianum ‘Herbstfreude’ or Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ is a late summer show stealer as its broad, domed flower heads shift from pale green to the first soft flush of pink.

By late September the colour deepens to a rich rose, and later still it takes on russet tones that last right into autumn.

It thrives best in full sun and well-drained soil, forming handsome, upright clumps that return reliably year after year.

Once established it shrugs off drought and poor soil with ease – a real advantage in Norfolk summers.

Maintenance is simple: cut back the old stems in spring as the new shoots appear, and that’s about it.

The flat-topped flowers are a magnet for bees and this lovely plant earns its place in almost any garden.