WHAT TO DO IN MID SEPTEMBER

• Lift main crop potatoes when the leaves have died down
• Pot up prepared hyacinth bulbs to flower at Christmas and put in a cool dark place
• September is a good month to sow a new lawn or patch up an existing one
• First early onion sets can be planted now for an early crop next year
• Plant out spring cabbages
• Cut back perennials past their best, compost as much waste as possible adding an activator to speed up rotting
• Empty pots of faded early summer bedding, adding old plants to the compost heap
• Keep picking summer-sown salads to prevent the plants running to seed
• Plant garlic cloves outside or in modular seed trays ready to plant out later this autumn and cover herbs like basil and parsley with cloches, or bring potted ones under cover
• Harvest globe artichokes and stake tall Brussels sprouts to stop them from blowing over
• Dig up onions and lay them out in an airy space to dry before storing. Stringing onions is a great way of storing gluts, as you can keep a large number of bulbs in a small space. Hang them in a cool, dry, frost-free place - such as a shed - until you need to bring them into the kitchen. Leave your bulbs to dry out thoroughly before you string them, by laying them out and leaving them in the sun for a few days. If it's raining, lay them on trays in a warm, dry place, such as a shed or conservatory. Choose the best quality bulbs to store any that are damp and moist should be eaten straight away as they won't store well and will be prone to mould and mildew. They do look lovely strung up, but it is not necessary.  Onions store very well in plastic tray. Or as my mother used to do, put them in an old pair of tights if you want to hang them up.
• Spread netting over ponds or water features to stop autumn leaves falling in

Autumn Jobs. Your crops are being harvested and some of the exuberant summer colour has faded from your borders but don’t be fooled into thinking that it’s all over until next spring. Autumn is a busy time in the garden, clearing away the decaying vegetation of the summer and preparing the garden for the cooler winter months ahead. Let the big clear up begin! Make sure that you lift those tender species such as Begonias, Dahlias, and Cannas before the first frosts threaten. Cut back the stems and gently lift the tubers/rhizomes from the ground. Clean the soil from them, dust them with a fungicide and store them in trays of dry compost or sand, with just the top of crown visible. Now is the perfect time to plant evergreen shrubs. Evergreens form the backbone of the garden, providing structure and year-round interest, so the more evergreens in your garden, the better it will look in winter. With warm soil and cooler conditions, autumn is the perfect time to fill those gaps in your borders. Sarcococca and Daphne will bring glossy green leaves and beautifully fragrant flowers in the depths of winter while the rest of your garden is dormant. For an elegant larger shrub try spring flowering Camellias or Fatsias for its large architectural foliage. Autumn provides an ideal