Garden list for September

Things I want to achieve in September 2025

Spring is here – hooray! It is a little weird this year as I’m ‘going early’. The garden is a lot closer to being spring ready than it normally is, but there is still plenty to do. Hopefully, I’ve gained some time by doing things last month that I’d ordinarily have do this month. It does feel a little disconcerting going early, especially as winter left with a sting in her tail and a storm that caused some damage around the garden. But I need to trust the process or I’ll never find out if it is worth the risk.

I’ve crossed a few larger items off the list which is super encouraging and should make a huge difference with less maintenance going forward. There are of course the dreamy projects that I know will linger on the list for months, if not years! It has been so helpful to have this list of things to do, and I expect it will be interesting in seasons to come. But for this month, it will drive my garden activities for the next few weeks with purpose and determination.

GARDEN GARDENING

• Sow seeds and care for seedlings.
• Weekly weeding of all sectors.
• Continue with bricks in paths.
• Trap possums.
• Liquid feed plants that need it – fortnightly.

THE VEGETABLE GARDEN

Sector 1

• Prepare growing structures.
• Add compost to corn bed.
• Test and fix irrigation.

Sector 2

• Prepare beds for planting.
• Prepare growing structures.
• Clear out brassica and salad beds.
• Test and fix irrigation.

Sector 3

• Tidy up beside the shed.
• Prepare beds for planting.
• Prepare growing structures.
• Eat root crops and leafy greens.
• Clear sand along fence line.
• Test and fix irrigation.
• Clear old fennel.
• Fix kumara and new fennel beds.

Sector 4

• Set up irrigation through this area.
• Deadhead flowers.
• Sort out edible flower bed.
• Weed pond area.

Sector 5

• Test and fix irrigation.
• Build a blueberry cage.
• Improve wind break protection.
• Feed and mulch fruit trees.
• Add compost to raspberries.
• Mulch strawberries.
• Tame pepino.
• Sort out pumpkin bed.
• There is a garden bed on my garden plan that is listed as “weeds.” This needs to change.

THE PALACE:

Room 1

• Renovate bench.
• Add brackets to stairs.

Room 2

• Support storm damaged cabbage tree.
• Install edging.
• Refresh the bark mulch.
• Fill gaps with plants.
• Fix and repaint gates.
• Continue pinning back Muehlenbeckia.
• Get plaque for time capsule.

Room 3                                                                                                  

• Weed regularly.
• Deadhead flowers.
• Plant dahlias.
• Learn maintenance needs.
• Weed regularly.

Room 4                                                                                                  

• Mow.
• Dream.

BEYOND THE GARDEN

• Weedeat swing seat path.
• Weedeat along fence line.
• Paint swing seat.
• Fix storm damage to tool shed.
• Tidy office and catch mouse.
• Train grape.
• Weed and Feed Lawn.
• Sort out backdoor garden.
• Spray lawn for Onehunga prickles.
• Repot houseplants.
• Repot storm damaged mint.
• Replace rotten fence palings.

OTHER PROJECTS – for when I have time.

• Landscape around the swing seat.
• Weed around trees on windbreak hill.
• Plant more trees on windbreak hill.
• Weed Waterfall.
• Clothesline project.
• Investigate ‘hill art’ project.
• Frames around irrigation hubs.
• Paint sheds.
• Makeover chicken coup.

KITCHEN GARDENING

• Enjoy new kitchen.
• Something from the garden in every meal.
• Check stored crops for rot.
• Do a stocktake of stored crops and meal plan.