A Gardener's Calendar -- September & October


September 1974

Sweet September, fairest month of all,
When summer lingers, loath to welcome fall.

What to do this month:
Set out evergreens. Soak and mulch.
Sow new lawns.
Transplant mums to flowering locations.
Plant bulbs for spring bloom.
Pick gourds before frost.
Prepare house plants for winter.
Bring in from outside. Wash, trim, and inspect for insects.
Plant paper-white narcissus bulbs in pebbles and water.
Dig dahlias after first frost.
Pot up chives, parsley and other herbs for kitchen window.

October 1974

October, in her red and golden dressed,
Bids her leafy children take their rest.

What to do this month:
Transplant deciduous shrubs and move small trees.
Mound up roses with 10 or 12 inches of soil.
Soak evergreens before freezing weather.
Pot up some annuals for the house (sweet alyssum, geraniums, petunias).
Mix up some potting soil for winter use.
Clean up vegetable and flower gardens and add to compost.
Rake leaves. Pile up to make leaf mold.
Collect salt hay or other material for mulching.
Clean up garden tools and put away.
Start feeding birds, if you haven't all summer.

Forward to November & December