It’s the ideal time of year to plant certain varieties of vegetables and flowers

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As summer draws to a close, there are many jobs to be done in the garden. There is produce to be picked and many flowers still need de-heading so they can carry on their good work for a few more weeks.

On top of this, September is also a good month for continued planting - both of vegetables and flowers. The soil is still warm enough for produce to grow, yet cool enough that you can start to put in bulbs.

And the added bonus is that after the dry months of July and August, September can bring a great deal of rain. With the warmth of summer hanging on, growing conditions are near perfect.

Read more: Five jobs in the garden to get done before autumn

Spinach is a good vegetable to sow right now, for picking next spring. Sow in shallow drills in well-prepared soil, covering with fleece or cloche from October.

Salad leaves, if sown now, will give you harvests through the autumn. Sow in a sheltered spot outdoors, or grow in pots. Try mustard leaves and winter salad mixes.

If you sow broad beans in autumn, the plants can establish over winter and crop earlier in spring. Cover plants with fleece in the coldest weeks.

Similarly, hardy varieties of peas can be sown in September, and will be ready the following spring. But again, cover up when there are hard frosts.

A late batch of radishes is also a great idea. These will be ready to pick in around two weeks.

There is still time to plant turnips, to be harvested golf-ball size in around six weeks. Finally, onions and garlic can be planted in September for spring harvesting.

English marigolds are easy to grow – from an autumn sowing, they should flower from May. Sow direct into shallow drills or on the surface of moist peat-free compost, in pots.

Cornflowers make ideal cut flowers – the blue variety is the most commonly grown, but red, pink and white are also available. Sow in September for early spring cutting.

Poppies can also be sown in September. Opium poppy, field poppy and ladybird poppy are popular choices.

September is the perfect month for popping your daffodil bulbs in the ground. And other bulbs, such as crocus, hyacinths and muscari can also be planted.

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