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September: Month By Month In Our Scottish Gardens
The Food Forest, The Raised Bed Garden & The Kitchen Courtyard
September
Each month in our Scottish garden tells a different story, shaped by light, weather and the steady rhythm of growth. January begins in quiet dormancy, with bare branches and frozen soil; February brings the first signs of stirrings beneath the earth.
By March and April, shoots break through and early blossoms hint at the season to come. May and June see the garden burst into full energy, with greenery filling spaces at speed. July and August are months of vigour and flowering, when fruit begins to swell and vegetables demand tending.
Then September arrives—a month of harvest, of gathering in, when the year’s work becomes tangible in baskets of fruit and berries, roots, herbs and late summer crops.
From here, the garden gradually slows: October sheds the leaves, November settles into decline and December returns us to stillness. It is this cyclical rhythm, month by month, that makes each September so rich with meaning.
When best to start a new monthly topic but September- The Harvest Month.
Our Garden in September
September is a month of transition in our Scottish garden. The long, light filled days of summer are fading, the air takes on a crisper edge and the garden itself begins to show its maturity. This is the time of harvest, of abundance, of gathering in the fruits of months of work and watching how the rhythms of nature carry us toward Autumn. The garden is always changing and September is one of its richest chapters.
The Food Forest
The food forest is the heart of our garden and in September it comes into its own. The canopy trees are now settled and productive, offering a sense of permanence and shelter. Beneath them, layers of shrubs, herbs and ground covers weave together into a living system.
The apple trees dominate this space in September, branches are getting filled with apples this year, each variety maturing at its own pace. Some of the early apples have already been picked, crisp and slightly sharp, perfect for eating fresh. Others hang a little longer, gaining sweetness in the cooler nights and the large established apple tree that was here when we moved in is full to bursting with apples to pick. Harvesting apples is one of mine and Clayton’s favourite garden tasks of the year. We have yet to have the pears & plums bare fruit, only flower each year. The cherries although fruiting as still very few to fully ripened stage
Underneath the apple canopy, the guild planting is full of activity. Comfrey leaves, already cut down once or twice earlier in the season, spring back again, feeding the soil with their deep mined minerals. Clover and other nitrogen fixers keep the ground rich, while late blooming flowers feed pollinators before the leaner months ahead. There is a sense of the system supporting itself, each part contributing to the whole and still a whole floor of strawberries for ground cover filling the space.
The Raised Bed Area
Moving over to the raised beds, the story of September is a blend of harvest and preparation. These beds, give us a controlled space to experiment with a range of crops that thrive in our sometimes unpredictable Scottish climate. They make it easier for Clayton to access and always for great drainage when it is pouring for weeks on end.
The Asparagus still has another year left on them before we can start to harvest them so left to bloom, feeding bees and offering architectural beauty. The strawberries underplanted in the same bed are still going strong.
Mangelwurzels was a new one we tried this year. These old fashioned root crops, once a staple for livestock, have earned a place in our beds for their versatility. They can be roasted, mashed or grated raw into salads, and we’ve been told keep remarkably well in store too.
The Sweetcorn is a more delicate matter. In Scotland, it is always a gamble, and in September we find out whether the gamble has paid off. This year they just haven’t got big enough to be substantial due to such a long great in the weather being wet and cold. See Our Temperature Blankets for more on the daily weather patterns.
Tomatoes fill another of the raised beds, their vines heavy with trusses. September is the crucial moment for them: the balance between ripening and the creeping cool damp of autumn. We pick them as soon as they show a blush of red, letting them finish on the windowsill if needed. The taste of a sun-warmed tomato, eaten right there in the garden, remains unmatched, and in September every one feels precious. Some will be turned into sauces and chutneys, bottling summer for the colder months.
Jerusalem artichokes their sunflower like blooms giving them the name sun chokes, beneath the soil, knobbly tubers are forming, ready to be lifted after the first frosts. Hardy and undemanding, they provide a reliable winter crop with a nutty, earthy flavour that makes them as valuable in the kitchen.
The Pathed Raised Beds
The Autumn raspberries keep offering their fruits, we go out to pick every few days. The blueberries, though nearly finished, still give the a small handful too. Alongside them, the comfrey puts out fresh growth, its purple bells feeding bees, while the sweet peas, though fading, continue to climb and flower, their scent drifting across the garden and their blossoms still drawing pollinators before the year turns. Cosmos and calendula still looking vibrant.
The Kitchen Courtyard
Closer to the house, just outside the kitchen door. September is a month of cutting and gathering, a dry out or chop up and freeze for the Winter months to use and gathering of seeds such as coriander.
The herbs are at their peak. Rosemary holds its aromatic strength, ready to flavour Autumn roasts. Thyme creeps over the edges of containers, evergreen and dependable. Mint, though starting to fade, still offers sprigs for teas and garnishes.
Salad greens continue to provide, though more slowly than in summer. Mixed leaves, mustard greens and rocket, while late sowings of spinach begin to establish themselves. Last of the mini tomatoes growing up the fence.
Apple Harvesting Video Reel
Collecting Coriander Seeds Video Reel
The Season’s Mood
Beyond the practicalities of harvest, September carries its own atmosphere in the Scottish garden. The light softens, evenings draw in, and mornings bring dew on the grass.
Working in the garden now is both busy and reflective. There are apples to pick, roots to pull, herbs to dry, tomatoes to preserve. At the same time, there is the knowledge that the season is slowing. The Summer growth is behind us, and the careful work of storing, saving, and preparing takes centre stage.
Happy Gardening!
Katrina & Clayton and family live in East Ayrshire and share their daily life in the garden on instagram. They practice permaculture principles in the garden, reducing & repurposing waste whenever they can. Katrina shows how home educating in nature has helped Clayton thrive.
Clayton Completed The 2 Grow and Learn Courses with the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society. He is Autistic, Non Verbal & has been Home Educated since 2018. Katrina & Peter hold their PDC & PDC PRO Permaculture Design Course from Oregon State University.
They featured on BBC Beechgrove Gardens Ep23 2022 and returned in 2023 for an update, Katrina & Clayton are also columnists for ScotlandGrows Magazine, Guest Blog for Caledonian Horticulture as well as working with Gardeners’ World Magazine and many other brands.
They are also Author of the new Children’s Book Series: Clayton’s Garden Journey: Stories of Autism and Gardening. Topics on Growing, Harvesting, Sowing & Composting and 108 Page Weather and Seasons Weekly Gardening Record Book available on Amazon and Kindle.
Listen in on their Guest Podcasts to learn more about them.
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Author of the new children’s book series: Clayton’s Garden Journey: Stories of Autism and Gardening and Sowing, Growing, Weather and Seasons Weekly Gardening Record Book available on Amazon and Kindle
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