Gardening with Mary: small but mighty

Many gardeners consider September to be the real start of the gardening year. The soil is still warm from summer and rain is usually likely so it’s the perfect time to plant, whether that’s bulbs, perennials, hedging, trees or shrubs.

It’s also a good time to reflect on what went well in your garden, what was disappointing and where you could improve next year, and it’s still not too late to get some preparatory work done for next year.

One thing that worked well in my garden in this summer of not-so-summery weather was container displays that incorporated fuchsias.

While other normally reliable summer performers gave a somewhat underwhelming show, fuchsias have revelled in the cooler, damper conditions, producing an abundance of enduring blooms.

One of the best this year was a potful of Fuchsia ‘Tom Thumb’ which has greeted callers at our front door with a succession of colourful, carmine red and purple, pendant blooms throughout summer. It will continue flowering well into October or the first frosts.

This dwarf, extremely free-flowering variety makes an ideal container plant for a partially shady site, protected from cold, drying winds. In cold, frost-prone areas it’s best overwintered in a cool greenhouse.

Taking fuchsia cuttings

Next year, I plan to plant up more containers with this high-performance fuchsia and so, in recent days, I’ve taken some cuttings. Although it’s getting a little late, growing fuchsias from cuttings is easy, and they tend to root quickly, so there is still just about time.

Choose healthy stems and use a secateurs or sharp knife to remove a semi-ripe stem of about five to 10cm long. If possible, select non-flowering shoots or pinch off the flower buds. Remove the lower leaves, pinch out the soft growing tip just above a set of leaves and then cut the stem cleanly below a leaf joint.

One of the best this year was a potful of fuchsia ‘Tom Thumb’ which has greeted callers at our front door

Cuttings should have one or two pairs of leaves. To enhance the rooting process, especially when taking late cuttings, dip the cut end into a rooting hormone. Insert three or four cuttings around the edge of a 7.5cm plastic pot filled with seed and cuttings compost or multi-purpose compost with extra horticultural grit added. Water well.

Fuchsia cuttings need a humid environment to develop roots. To create this, place a clear plastic bag over the pot, ensuring it doesn’t touch the leaves of the cuttings. Alternatively, you can use a large, plastic drinks bottle cut in half or a propagator to create a mini greenhouse effect which will help to maintain moisture levels and promote rooting. Place the pot in a warm, bright location, but out of direct sunlight.

A north-facing windowsill or greenhouse can often provide ideal conditions. Within three to four weeks, the cuttings should begin to show signs of rooting. You can gently tug the cutting to feel for resistance, which indicates root growth.

Once rooting starts, remove the plastic covering during the day to acclimate the young plants. When they have started growing well, the rooted cuttings can be repotted individually and should be overwintered indoors in a bright, frost-free location.

It is also possible to root fuchsia cuttings in a glass of water, and many gardeners find this method straightforward and fun. Only the part of the stem where you removed the leaves should be submerged in the water.

Position the glass in a warm, well-lit location out of direct sunlight and refresh the water every few days or if it starts to look cloudy. Once the cuttings produce roots of about 2cm long, they should be individually potted up into a well-draining potting mix and kept indoors over winter. I look forward to planting out my increased supply of fuchsia plants next summer.

New grass

This is the ideal time to either sow or turf new grass areas or to repair worn or bare patches on your lawn. Thinly scatter grass seed at the rate recommended on the packet, watering well and keeping it damp.

Consider covering sown areas with fleece to keep the soil moist and prevent birds eating the seed. The seed should germinate and grow in days.

Plant spring-flowering bulbs

September also marks the start of the autumn bulb planting season. Most spring-flowering bulbs can be planted throughout autumn. However, daffodils, hyacinths and anemones ideally like to be planted before the end of September. They’re among the earliest bulbs to root, so they like an early start.

Tulips are best planted later, in November, when colder temperatures suppress the fungal disease tulip fire.

While there are lots of beautiful spring bulbs to choose for planting, this year I am concentrating on alliums and, in particular Allium sphaerocephalon.

A visit to June Blake’s garden near Blessington in Co Wicklow last July inspired this choice as it flowers later than other alliums, which mostly peak in May, and is a fantastic plant for supporting bees and other pollinators.

September is also a good time for planting ground cover plants, especially in those tricky spots in shade where the soil can be dry in summer but will be moist from now on through autumn and winter, allowing the plants to establish. I find epimediums very useful in part shade.

Deadhead buddleias to prevent seeding and improve its appearance.