Tomatoes, sweet & chilli peppers are ripening during the autumn, continue to harvest these crops daily. Surplus can be preserved in chutney & pickles and some are suitable for freezing.
Continue to harvest brassicas as and when they are available, brassicas, beans, onions, potatoes, beetroot and salad crops are all still providing for the table.
Seeds can still be sown during September and October, salad crops, spring onions and broad beans will germinate and form strong roots to get a head start to ensure an early crop.
Annual & perennial flowers can also be sown now - sweet peas, calandula, nigella, cornflowers, poppies, valerian, eupatorium and jacobs ladder are all fairly easy to grow and will wait patiently for spring.
Many perennials are still showing off their vibrant flowers and providing valuable nectar for our pollinators. Remove all faded flowers as this encourages fresh flower growth. Those perennials which have finished for season can be tidied up or just left alone until next spring. Seed heads will provide food for birds over the lean winter months.
Herbs are fading now, those that are looking tired will benefit from a good trim and kept on the dry side throughout the autumn and winter months. Chives and mint can be severely cut back. Evergreen herbs such as thyme, rosemary, sage and winter savoury need treating more carefully and should only be given a light tidy up.
Tender perennials can be brought in to a protected environment if autumn frosts are forecast, or horticultural fleece can be used if no greenhouse or cold frame is available.
