September is about your garden giving it one last splash of colour with redbeckias, heleniums, sedums and fabulous grasses now giving it a warm glow….

JOBS TO DO

1. Take stock of your garden and note where the gaps are or where more COLOUR is needed.
2. Garden nurseries have great PLANT SALES now as the end of season so go shopping and if you buy a plant, buy a minimum of THREE.
3. Buy spring flowering bulbs now to plant in October.
4. You could sow your final crop of Rocket, Mustard and Winter Salad.

FRUIT

1. Continue picking Autumn Raspberries
2. Collect Windfall apples as soon as possible and get cooking, eating and see my delicious chutney receipe for a winter favourite (Octobers Blog)
3. Harvesting apples and pears can be tricky but check weekly and a Apple is ripe when cupped in your hand, comes away as your gently twist, but if planning on storing – pick slightly underripe.
4. Pears are more tricky as they need to be hard and have developed in sweetness.
5. Remove summer fruiting raspberry canes that have fruited to ground level(brown stems not the green ones)

HARVESTING

1. BEETROOT is delicious and is now ready for picking so check out my fab ‘Chocolate Beetroot Brownies’ which comes from New Zealand.
2. Save seed for next year – California Poppies, cosmos, french and runner beans, when dry and brittle place in a paper bag and store.
3.  Go BLACKBERRY PICKING – its free and freeze them  In November I have a great Fruit Leather receipe!