Around the garden in September

Sow annuals now for an early display

COMPOST HEAP: Turn compost regularly to encourage the speedy breakdown of material on your compost heap.

CUTTINGS: Take cuttings from tender perennials using modular trays. The resulting plants can be used to replace older, tender perennials that have become too woody and straggly.

HEDGES: Start to prune all laurel hedges with secateurs. By the second week, we've finished cutting all beech, leylandii and yew hedges. If you have a laurel hedge or screen, use secateurs to avoid cutting the leaves in half and leaving brown edges.

HERBACEOUS BORDERS: Cut back herbaceous plants in all borders as they go over, forking over and weeding as you go.

LAWNS: Mow if the grass is still growing. As growth slows, mow less frequently and raise the cutting height of the blades slightly on mowers.

PATHS: Maintain these. Our raised beds have paths between them and the plot will look better if these are kept neat and tidy. Mow grass paths and trim the edges. Paths that have mulch, such as bark chips of gravel, will be easier to maintain if there is a weed-proof membrane underneath.

Cover sowings with vermiculite and label.

PERENNIALS: Cut back their stems (if they are no longer of interest) but leave any loved by birds (such as finches) where they are to provide food. Stake tall, late-flowering perennials, such as asters, if hte weighty flowerheads are in danger of pulling them down to the ground.

ROSES: Prune climbing and rambling roses and tie in this year's new stems.

SEEDS: Collect seeds from your chosen flowers around the garden and store for sowing later. At Barnsdale, we collect a lot of seed for the plant nursery and find it a good an enjoyable way to raise more plants – not to mention save money.

SHRUBS: Trim to shape evergreen shrubs such as Elaeagnus, Escallonia and any other summer-flowering shrubs if not done last month. Remove a few older branches if they are overcrowded, dead of diseased.

WATERING: Water all pots, wall pots and baskets, especially when windy. Water new plantings each week, if required. If you are yet to go away on holiday, clear away spent container displays so friends and family only need to water ones that still look good.

* Photography: Redshift Photography