September is a great month to plant lavender bushes, perfect for attracting bees and butterflies and giving a great long summer display of beautifully scented flowers.
However, it’s important to select the right type of lavender to give it the best start. Although French lavender is beautiful, it’s not as hardy as an English lavender. So firstly, ensure you select a Lavender Angustifolia for hardiness through the winter. Secondly, I do recommend you buy from a good garden centre or nursery rather than a supermarket.
Lavender needs well-drained soil and a sunny position. Don’t plant individual plants too close together as they will grow quickly and needs space to spread.
I would still cover or protect a young English lavender from a very cold or frosty night while it’s a young plant, so keep an eye on the weather. This extra care will be worth it to establish a really good healthy plant which will reward you for years to come with its fragrant stunning display.
Lavender is drought-tolerant once established so is very low maintenance.
Gorgeous crab apple tree
September is the beginning of tree-planting season which is during the colder months when a plant is not actively growing. A crab apple tree is a great choice for a residential garden as they don’t grow too tall, and there are so many beautiful varieties.
This is Malus ‘Gorgeous’ which I spotted on a walk recently and stopped to admire its huge amount of small shiny red crab apples. Not only are they highly attractive, they are also a really important winter food source for birds.
What am I reading?
I’ve been intrigued by these kinetic sculptural animals, created by Dutch artist Theo Jansen. Known as Strandbeests, these creatures move across the sand on a Dutch beach, powered entirely by the wind.
Take a look at more of these strange creatures:
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2022/04/theo-jansen-flying-strandbeest/
