What to Grow with the Kids in September and October

Autumn is a great time to sit inside with a cup of tea and to watch the colours change from the comfort of your own living room. However, this isn’t much fun for children who relish the outdoors! In the gardening calendar, autumn is a time to be tidying and preparing for next year. Tidying leaves away, cutting grass for the last time in a while, and trimming back any over-vigorous growth from the summer.

Wildflowers

In terms of growing, its wildflowers' time to shine. Native wildflowers are normally planted at this time of the year, as this is when the seeds are available from this year’s flowers. They also do well in the spring. Try our Wonderful Wildflowers Range, the complete children's growing kit in 5 native and easy-to-grow varieties. As well, there are fabulous wildflower mixes in the form of Seedballs or Seedboms.

(Image courtesy of Claire Coombs on Facebook of our wildflower mixes)

Some of these are ‘traditionally’ planted in the spring, but planting them now, allows them to germinate and grow while the weather is not too bad, survive the winter then flower bigger, longer and earlier the following year.

Bulbs

Planting bulbs in September will ensure gorgeous flowering of beloved early spring favourites such as daffodils, snowdrops, hyacinths and crocuses. Spring/summer-flowering bulbs like alliums and lilies can be planted any time until the end of October. Tulips are better planted a little later, into November.

Of course, if you don’t want to brave the weather, our indoor favourites will provide year-round growing fun and education!

September - October

Plant early flowering spring bulbs such as daffodils, hyacinths, crocuses, and snowdrops.

Spring- and summer-flowering bulbs, such as alliums and lillies

Wonderful Wildflowers

Seedballs – varieties including the matchboxes, ox-eye daisy, beetle mix, hedgehog mix, artist’s meadow

Seedboms – varieties including Pollinator Bom

November

Tulip bulbs

All year

Herbs - check out our Herb Garden Growing Kit

Cress - such as our easy to grow Cress Growing Kit

Let us know how you and your children get on with growing. We'd love to feature you in our upcoming Growers' Gallery.

Happy Gardening!