Hardy Annuals
September is the month where we start planning for next year – and hope that the summer of 2009 will be rather better than the one that is currently drawing to its close!  While there should still be plenty of colour in the garden if you are growing proven late summer performers such as dahlias, rudbeckias and cosmos (our rudbeckias are looking particularly good this year), remember that September is the ideal month to sow seed of hardy annuals.  Make these sowings where earlier summer flowers have finished and been cleared and they will reward you with some extra early colour next summer. 

Species such as calendula, candytuft, nigella (love in a mist), eschscholzia (Californian poppy), clarkia and godetia are ideal for sowing now.  The great thing is that the soil is still warm from the summer, so seeds will germinate readily and establish well before the worst of the winter weather.  As their name tells us, these annuals are hardy, so will survive the winter and be ready to burst into flower in late spring and early summer 2009.  All you need to do is to keep the young plants weed-free as they develop.

Planting Out
If you are growing spring blooming flowers from seed, such as wallflower, primrose, polyanthus and daisy (Bellis), plant these to their flowering positions as soon as possible so that they too will be settled in the garden before frosts and bad weather arrive.  So many of these look wonderful planted with spring flowering bulbs.  Most bulbs too can be planted in September and October and there is such a huge range from which to choose.  See our Plant & Bulb Collection.

Preparing for Spring
Few bulbs can beat daffodils for providing really welcome spring cheer, and we particularly like many of the dwarf varieties available.  These compact growers look stunning whether grown in containers or as edging along a path.  Hyacinths and crocus are other sure-fire winners for spring colour if planted during September.  A good rule-of-thumb is to plant bulbs at approximately twice the depth of the bulbs themselves.

Vegetables
Runner beans are still producing pods here, but these will soon be finishing, while the first of the autumn vegetables such as leeks and early Brussels sprouts look very tempting.  If you have not already lifted maincrop onions, do so now and allow them to dry either on top of the soil or on greenhouse staging for a week or two before preparing them for storage through the months ahead.

If you are a garlic lover, may we remind you that our Purple Wight strain can still be ordered until 30th September.  Autumn is definitely the best time to plant garlic, and our Purple Wight will give an early crop next summer.  It is best eaten ‘green’ soon after it matures.  It is great with salads or roasted on a tray with other vegetables.  We also love it in stir-fry dishes, where the juiciness of the plump cloves adds a whole new dimension!