# What a great summer....bit harsh for plants and animals though. Remember when watering to give a good soak, rather than a quick shower of water. Mulch with pea hay or compost if you can. Trees and shrubs planted, last winter or spring, need special attention, regular soaks if you can. Avery small hole in the bottom of a plastic container, beside them, can help.

# Carrot and parsnip need to be sown now for the winter. Keep picking beans so they continue to produce flowers . You could get another crop if you sow the seed now.

# Plant leek and brussel sprouts plants, adding lots of compost and sheep pellets and don't allow them to dry out.

# Lift garlic and shallots now. Allow to dry well in a sunny dry place before storing or plaiting.

# Continue dead heading dahlias and roses and they will reward you with more flowers. Feed roses again with rose fertiliser and sheep pellets .Tie new growth on climbing roses back against fence so they can be used at pruning time to replace old canes.

# Spraying buxus hedges with a mix of Sheild and spraying oil [at summer strength], will smoother scale insects which makes  the black sooty mould appear and your hedge not happy.

# Give annual plants in hanging baskets and pots a liquid feed or slow release granules, a little cut back and they will continue flowering into the autumn.