Updated for September 2025
Autumn is edging in, the evenings are cooler, and gardens everywhere are starting to slow down.
It’s the perfect time to tidy, plant and plan so your garden heads into winter looking good and comes back strong next spring.
Here’s our latest list of September gardening jobs we’re doing right now at Kings Garden & Leisure.
1. Divide Herbaceous Perennials
Lift and split crowded clumps of plants such as hostas, daylilies and geraniums.
This keeps them vigorous, prevents die-back in the centre and gives you extra plants to spread around the garden or share with friends.
2. Harvest Autumn Raspberries
Pick fruit regularly to encourage more berries and enjoy them at their sweetest.
Freeze any extras on a tray before bagging so they don’t stick together.
3. Collect and Dry Seed-heads
Save seed from annuals and perennials like nigella, cosmos and aquilegia.
Dry the seed-heads thoroughly, label, and store in paper envelopes somewhere cool and dry, ready for sowing next year.
4. Net Garden Ponds
As leaves start to fall, stretch netting across ponds to stop debris rotting in the water and affecting fish or wildlife.
Remove the net periodically to clear away any fallen leaves.
5. Plant Spring-Flowering Bulbs
Get daffodils, crocus and early tulips into the ground this month for a brilliant spring display.
Plant bulbs two to three times their own depth in well-drained soil or pots.
6. Store Surplus Fruit
If your apple trees are groaning with fruit, wrap each apple individually in newspaper and store in a cool, dry shed or garage so they don’t touch and bruise.
Plums can be stewed and frozen or turned into jam for a taste of summer all winter long.
7. Cut Back Lavender
Lightly trim flowered stems to keep plants neat and bushy.
Avoid cutting into old woody growth, which may not reshoot.
8. Plant Bare-Root Wallflowers
These start arriving in garden centres this month.
Soak the roots well before planting in a sunny spot and look forward to a burst of colour next spring.
9. General Garden TLC
Keep dead-heading late-flowering plants, tidy borders, and clear away any tired annuals.
A little effort now means less work when the real autumn weather arrives.
Final Thoughts
Pop into Kings Exmouth or Kings Sidmouth for spring bulbs, bare-root wallflowers and everything you need to get your garden ready for the cooler months.
Happy gardening!