Autumn might be upon us, but gardening aficionado Monty Don has shared a simple way to grow a whole garden of brand-new plants this September at absolutely no cost
It turns out you can fill your garden with luscious blooms for no cost.
While most people assume that their gardening work is over once September swings by, this is far from the case. Gardening expert and BBC presenter Monty Don says that September is a great time to take advantage of the “free seed” in your garden which you can use to grow new plants.
Monty writes in his blog: “Growing your favourite plants from seed is easy and practically without cost and at this time of year your garden is full of free seed that can be collected.
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“Not only will this give you dozens of free plants for future years but also spares to give or swap with friends and family.”
First, he advises using brown paper envelopes, which should ideally be A5. You can then carefully cut the seed heads and upend them into the envelopes. Otherwise, Monty says you can place the envelope over the seed head, seal it and then cut the stem off and store it upside down.
He adds that you should label each envelope clearly with the date, name of the plant and their position in the garden. Then store them in a cool, dry place.
According to Monty, after a week or two the seeds should be dry and can be sieved, cleaned and stored in sealed packets. If you wish to store them over a longer time period, he suggests placing them in a plastic tub with a tight lid and storing in the fridge.
Another great way to grow new plants without having to take a trip to the garden shop is to take cuttings. Unlike growing from seed, cuttings will produce plants identical to the parent plant.
There are also a plethora of other garden jobs that Monty advises are suitable for September. For example, now is a good time to trim your hedges if needed as the majority of fledgling birds will have left.
Equally, it’s also an ideal time to repair lawns damaged by a long dry summer. If you notice any thin patches of grass, you can scatter seed over them and water. After a few days, the seed should germinate and begin to grow.