This should be the season of dahlias. I should be drowning in the things. No such luck sadly. I planted so many, a la Arthur Parkinson, in old galvanised bins, in troughs and in swill kettles. The vast majority sulked. They continue to sulk, although I managed to harvest just enough for the church flower rota. They know to put me on in September, because I am usually famed for my dinnerplate dahlias.

A sidenote: I overheard two dahlia experts in the digital space bemoaning the ubiquity of the term ‘dinnerplate’. No such thing apparently, they are ‘large decorative’. Language includes and excludes, and I shall continue to call them dinnerplates in the same way as I don’t always italicise my botanical names, only when I feel like it. The only constant is change and it is futile to resist.

But if the dahlias have been something of a failure in the wet and stormy autumn, the conditions appear to have favoured nasturtiums like no other season I have ever known. Most of mine were self seeded after I grew ‘Purple Emperor’ and ‘Ladybird Rose’ in the kitchen garden last year. Some of them look purplish or pinkish, but the majority are absolutely astonishing tones of browns and reds. Indeed, I much prefer them to the originals. I cut them with care as I want to leave as many as possible to self-sow, and throw the nasturtium gene dice one more time.

I am making the most of these blooms though, as others feel very thin on the ground. Looking back at photographs from previous Septembers, it seems to be something like a sad end to a funny year. The sanguisorbas are soggy. The borages - big, late self-sown plants - have crashed to the ground under the weight of all the rain. My rudbeckias look positively moth-eaten.

Ah, but the flowers’ loss is the fruits’ gain. The rose hips are more abundant and more deeply red than I can ever remember them being before. I can’t remember if that means a cold or a mild winter. I have quinces by the bucketful. Apples by the truckful. My own winter squash are still on the vine but the local farm shop has Red Kuri piled up in great crates, many of which have made it into my kitchen.

One wins some. One loses some.

Other flowers out in my garden in September:

Japanese Anemones

Their delicate, pastel flowers are perfect for late summer and early autumn, providing a light and airy appearance.

Rudbeckia

Commonly called black-eyed Susan, these daisy-like flowers in golden yellows and deep oranges are perfect for adding warmth to autumn borders.

Asters

Known as Michaelmas daisies, asters provide dainty star-shaped flowers in shades of pink, purple, and blue.

Verbena bonariensis

This tall, slender perennial with clusters of tiny purple flowers sways gracefully in the breeze, making it perfect for a late summer and autumn display.

Hydrangeas

These lush, showy blooms often continue into September, with varieties like Hydrangea paniculata and Hydrangea macrophylla offering large, colourful flower heads.

Salvias

The spiky, vibrant blooms of salvias often persist through September, with some varieties such as Salvia nemorosa providing late-season colour in shades of blue, purple, and red.

Cosmos

These annuals continue blooming into September, producing delicate, daisy-like flowers in white, pink, and purple hues that add a whimsical touch to the garden.

Welcome to my flower garden at Malus Farm. I do lots of things here: grow apples and roses, eat in the long table in the orchard, cut armfuls of flowers for the house. I potter with the dogs, and I wear wellingtons all summer and tweed all winter.

But my heart’s desire and my life’s passion is growing flowers.

Like (almost) all gardening tasks, growing flowers is breath-takingly simple when you know what you are meant to be doing and when. This is why I created the ultimate guide - a printable pdf of all the jobs for the garden in September, the flowers that are out, and the seeds you can sow. Yes, even in September.  Especially in September. At the beginning of the month, I print mine out, put it on a clipboard, and hang it up in my potting shed. To get yours, just click the button below.