Who knows what to expect weatherwise this month? The year seems to have been quite a mix and not too great for the gardener - still things have caught up and even though there is rain in the forecast for September there is lots to enjoy and plenty to keep you busy in the garden this month. 

The approach of Autumn is a fantastic time of year to plant your spring bulbs, feed your lawn or prepare for your winter vegetable planting. Sow hardy annuals now for spring flowers the following year. The seeds can be sown in spring but sowing in autumn often results in earlier flowers and more robust plants. Sowing hardy annuals is easy - either sow in rows, or broadcast the seed on a prepared seedbed. Particular favourites are Love-in-a-mist - a cottage garden favourite, Corn Flowers - makes an excellent cut flower, California poppy brings swathes of bright orange-yellow to borders, self-seeds readily so once sown you will enjoy them every year and lastly Poppies - opium, field and ladybird poppy can all be sown now.

It's is a good time to take cuttings of many plants. Some plants, such as half-hardy perennials or tender shrubs, may not make it through the winter, so by taking cuttings you can ensure that you can enjoy them the following year. Taking cuttings in autumn is also a good way to increase your stock of your favourite plants and save money. Take semi-ripe cuttings, from this year's growth. They are woody at the base and soft at the tip. In autumn, hormone levels are high, so plants should root and grow well, the hard base makes the cuttings less likely to rot and, if you have some, hormone rooting powder helps. Give it a go! There are no gardening mistakes only experiments.

Tomatoes and outdoor lettuce should be in abundance and the winter vegetables should be coming into their own. There should be plenty of fresh garden vegetables to enjoy if you have managed to get some planted as long as the caterpillars, slugs and birds leave you some. Make room in your greenhouse or windowsill and pot up your parsley, mint and chives and they will keep growing over winter. Whatever you have - garden or just pots - just make sure you enjoy what has grown, learn by your mistakes and never give up.

Gardening is too precious and plants gives us more than we realise.

Alan Caswell

Now is a great time to enjoy whatever you have planted which should be bursting with colour and producing fantastic home grown fruit and vegetables. Everything seemed a little late, due to the early weather conditions this year, but catch up it will! Keep plants looking good by regularly dead-heading and remove rose suckers - you'll enjoy a longer display of blooms. 

Hoe, Hoe, Hoe - No, we're not talking about Christmas just yet! It's time to get on top of your borders and get ahead with hoeing off weeds. Choose a nice dry day, so that any weeds that you miss collecting wither away in the sun. It's worth taking a hoe out with you every time you go in the garden, so no weeds stand a chance of bullying out your annuals and perennials. 

"A weed is a plant that has mastered every survival skill except for learning how to grow in rows!"

Many lawns look browner than they do green during the summer. This could be due to setting the cutting height too low on the mower. Doing this creates shallow rooting, making the lawn more susceptible to drought and building up of moss. From the first cut of the year, start high and gradually work down to your desired height (ideally around 1 inch cutting height) and work back up to the highest as we move into early autumn. If your grass does turn brown from the heat, don't be tempted to water, it's good at dealing with a lack of water and will bounce back - if you are tempted just give it a good soak once a week.

Keep new plants well-watered and ensure newly planted trees and shrubs do not dry out - they often need much more water than you imagine. Don't forget to water your potted shrubs like Acers and Olives and give them a feed too.

It's really nice to see the no-mow areas around Frenchay are still thriving. No mow May is over but the pollinators still need support! It's also worth noting in hot weather try limiting the amount you dig, to minimise the loss of moisture in the soil. That's a cue for rest and relaxation if ever I heard one! We should look for the positives in our lives and gardening does have a great impact on both our mental and physical health! It's amazing how many worries are lost when gardening.

Alan Caswell