Sow hardy annuals for flowers early next summer.

Lift gladioli corms, dry them off, then store in a frost-free shed or garage over winter.

Plant wallflowers, pansies, forget-me-nots and other spring bedding in pots and borders.

Collect ripe seeds from your favorite flowers and store in labelled envelopes, ready to sow in spring.

Plant up containers for autumn interest.

Lift, divide, and replant congested clumps of perennials.

Fill any gaps in your borders with late-flowering perennials to provide nectar for pollinating insects into autumn.

Plant spring bulbs in pots and borders.

Keep summer bedding flowering in hanging baskets and pots until the first frosts by deadheading and feeding regularly.

Leave seed heads in place for birds to feed on.

Sow hardy greens for winter harvesting.

Prune out all the fruited canes of summer raspberries, cutting down to the base, and tie in new canes to supports.

Continue to harvest herbs until first frost.

Start sowing hardy varieties of broad beans and peas for early crops next year.

Plant onion and shallot sets in a sunny spot with the tips just showing above the soil.

Cut off trusses of unripe outdoor tomatoes before the weather turns cold, then ripen them indoors.

Lift maincrop potatoes, dry off, and store in burlap or paper sacks, in a cool, dark, well-ventilated place.

Complete summer pruning of both free-standing and trained apple trees, to encourage good fruiting in future years.

Rake thatch from lawns, aerate well-trodden areas by spiking with a garden fork, and re-seed bare patches.

Water autumn-flowering asters regularly to deter mildew.

Clean out water butts and check downpipe fittings in preparation for autumn rains.

Wash and disinfect bird feeders and tables to maintain hygiene.

Collect fallen leaves to store in a chicken-wire cage or bin bags to make leaf mold.

Order bare-root fruit trees to plant later in autumn or winter.

Check roses for signs of fungal diseases, such as blackspot, and pick off and dispose of (do not compost) all affected leaves.

Soft and bush fruit

Herbaceous perennials

Mediterranean shrubs

Yew hedges

Ornamental trees

Aloysia citrodora (lemon verbena)

Felicia

Fuchsia

Hebe

Helichrysum

Lavender

Pelargonium

Penstemon

Salvia

Verbena

Ammi majus (Queen Anne’s lace)

Centaurea cyanus (cornflower)

Eschscholzia californica (California poppy)

Nigella damascena (Love-in-a-mist)

Papaver (poppy)