Garden Journal, September 4th 2023

September is a seasonal no mans land. It’s not really autumn, yet it’s too late to be called summer. Even if the days are properly warm, they’re still getting shorter and the mornings are increasingly dewy.

September can easily tilt either way. It can fall into a cool and misty autumnal chill, or it can slide back into late summer warmth. But this is a low stakes game, it’s not a time for high extremes; if the chill arrives it won’t be a killing freeze, if warmth appears it probably won’t be a meteorological blowtorch. Probably.

In the garden, the name of the game is very much “keeping the show on the road”. Water wisely when warm, but not too much on cooler days. A little bit of judicious tidying can help, early season leaves may be yellowing, even as new green ones continue to appear. 

Today we’re in late summer, rather than early autumn. It’s a balmy 27°C, according to my weather station. It feels warm and humid, although the trusty weather station assures me we have only reached 56% relative humidity, so not especially high. Regardless, it feels pretty tropical, which is nice for someone like me who tries to create tropical vibes with big, leafy plants. On the other hand, tropical feeling September days seem like they may be a precursor to less desirable climate scenarios. It’s very much a swings and roundabouts situation.