Although September is the start of autumn, it can often be the most colourful month in the garden. Ironically, the summer bedding often peaks in the early autumn, especially if we have had some good weather in August, and with all the colours of autumn the seasons link into one lingering display as the softer light of September adds to the attraction. In the vegetable garden most root crops are ready to lift and store and the ground is ready for clearing. Try to clear up as you go along. It is much easier than having it all to do later, especially if the weather is inclement.

If you decided that you are fed up with Golden Delicious apples and would like to grow some of your own, don't forget that early apples such a Spartan, Discovery and George Cave are ready to pick in early September,while other varieties will ripen over the coming weeks. If you leave the early fruit on the trees too long they will become soft and mealy. Birds will also peck them and wasps will move in and eat the soft flesh. To test if they are ripe, gently cup the fruit in your hand and twist. If it resists coming away, leave for a few more days before trying again.

In the flower garden some of the summer flowers will have finished. If this leaves you with bare patches in your borders, why not buy some container grown autumn flowering plants or shrubs and grasses, attractive for their many varied seed heads, to fill the gap?

A few suggestions are Rudbeckia Rustic Dwarfs, with their raised chocolate centres like furry Russian hats, a joy in early autumn. If you want a change from the bronze gold colours, perennial Salvias bring pink and purple shades. Michaelmas Daisies are one of the most familiar of all flowers and fill the September garden with masses of colour, ranging from a dwarf white variety through every shade of pink to mauve, purple and red. Its name Michaelmas arose from the flower's decorative use in Churches on St Michael's Day (September 29th.) It also marked the start of the Autumn - Spring hiring period for farm labourers.

Pennisetum Herbstzauber is a particularly nice fountain grass for the autumn with seed heads like a silky kitten's tail. It will bring tactile treats to the garden, especially for small children.

If you have grown a silver birch in your garden for its attractive bark, remember that the bark does discolour over time and needs a wash to restore its glory. You can do this with a strong jet of water, or by hand, peeling away the outer layer of bark.

A little bit of gardening history to finish. The Great Vine at Hampton Court Palace is not only the oldest in Britain but probably the oldest in the world. It still yields nearly 700 pounds pf grapes every year. It was planted in 1786 by Launcelot "Capability" Brown for the farmer King George III, possibly to celebrate the birth of his second daughter, Princess Augusta. The variety is Back Hamburgh, a variety widely grown today, and is particularly suited to the English climate and high yielding, as the annual crop of of grapes at Hampton Court still demonstrates.