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The Gotham Gardener
September 2008 Issue 1
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I can't believe it's already September! Summer is nearly over with and there is a cool, crisp air in the mornings that reminds us all that fall is just around the corner. I decided to start this newsletter as a way of keeping in touch, reminding everyone of monthly happenings in the garden based on the changing of seasons, and tips and insights on urban gardening based on my years of experience working on city gardens. I hope you enjoy this first edition of "The Gotham Gardener."
- Amber Freda
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September Garden Tips
Fall Flowers, Bulb Planning, and Fall Leaf Clean-Up. 
Now is the time to spruce up the garden for the fall by removing any plants that look spent, diseased, or desiccated and replacing them with a gorgeous selection of fall flowers, such as mums, asters, pansies, violas, flowering kale, and primroses.
Among my favorites are the "Rose Shades" pansies, pictured to the right, blue asters, black and orange pansies for Halloween, Rocket Snapdragons that reach 12-24" tall, English daisies with their ultra-soft, pink, pin-cushion flowers, orange, red, and yellow daisy-headed mums, and deep purple flowering kale.
Violas are a winner for sun to part-shade, and are one of the only fall flowers that will tolerate some shade. Violas also usually over-winter really well and just need a little pruning in late winter to take off any damaged leaves and get them blooming again.
Flowering kale is also very hardy, down to about 0 to 5 degrees. It is one of the few "flowers" that will hold its color all the way through the holidays, although it's actually the foliage that is the colorful part we all admire and not the flower at all.
September is the time to slow down and stop fertilizing hardy plants. We don't want to push our plants to grow actively during this time because they should be hardening off, or ending their period of active growth in preparation for the cold months ahead. Fragile new growth can become easily damaged under freezing temperatures. The one exception to this rule is annuals, which usually die in the winter anyway, and should always be fertilized during periods of bloom.
Bulb planning should definitely be something you want to consider this month. As the temperatures start to drop, you may want to add bulbs to your garden, either now or in October. Bountiful displays of tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, crocus, and alliums are sure to be a welcome addition to your garden when they bloom in spring.
Towards the end of the month, we may start to see some leaves dropping, although that really becomes more of a concern in October and November. Plan your maintenance visits to arrive at the times when you have peak leaf accumulation so we can leave your garden sparkling and clean. For in-ground gardens without mulch, I recommend allowing the leaves to remain on the ground to help protect your plants through the winter months and provide a source of organic nutrition to your plants as they decompose and improve your soil conditions over time.
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The Gotham Gardener
 Amber Freda has been a practicing landscape designer for the past 10 years. Her firm provides landscape design, installation, and maintenance services to clients living in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. She specializes in roof gardens, terraces, small gardens, and flowerbeds. For more information or to browse before and after photos, please visit www.amberfreda.com
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Happy Gardening!
Sincerely,
Amber Freda
Landscape Designer
646.546.1592
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