We are now well into September, and it is time to start thinking about jobs that have to be done in the garden.

I have decided to plant overwintering cauliflowers and onions in the allotment and bags of potatoes that will be ready for Christmas.

The bags can be moved into the greenhouse when the cold weather sets in.

I know for a fact that the onions that I planted last October were well worth growing, attaining a girth of 15 inches so a reasonably good size.

The cauliflowers are now starting to grow to a good size, about six to seven inches in height, and will soon be ready to plant out.

Both these vegetables will be covered in enviromesh to protect them against strong winter winds, rain and frost.

In late January these plants will burst into life again and hopefully I will be cropping the cauliflowers in late March and the onions in June.

Meanwhile I will keep weeding my deep beds and paths giving them a final tidy up to finish off this year.

One of my last jobs is to pick my autumn fruiting raspberries.

Some will be eaten now and the rest frozen and enjoyed during the winter so all in all it has been a reasonably good success in the allotment and the back garden.

Up here at the house, the front garden is still providing good colour from the dahlias, begonias geraniums and marigolds, so it just a case of keeping them weed free.

I must admit the wife

does a really good job of

that.

In the back garden, the ground has been turned over for the winter and in the small greenhouse the tomatoes that have given a great crop have all been removed and potatoes and cauliflower have been planted so it is looking nice and tidy.

Back to the front garden again, when all the flowers have been removed the ground will be turned over and replanted with daffodils, pansies and polyanthus to give a bit of cover during the winter.

While the ground is empty, it is a good time to think about putting nutrients back in the soil in preparation for future crops.

You want to build up the humus content of the soil. Failure to do this will produce poor crops the following year.

When the ground is clear of all debris, spread a good layer of well rotted compost, farmyard manure or some organic matter and dig it well in. Do not apply fertilisers at this time as the winter wind and rain will wash it out. Organic manures break down much more slowly and release nutrients into the soil gradually much to the benefit of future crops.

The other job that I have got done is the large greenhouse has had the tables removed they have been scrubbed done with Jeyes Fluid.

The glass has all been washed down so everything has been accomplished except one job and that is putting up my bubble glazing.

Alas, old age has caught up with me so I asked my brother-in-law John if he would do the job for me.

Job accomplished - tables are back in place so John, a job well done and once again many thanks.

Well friends this is my last column for this year.

Hopefully I will return next year and I also hope you all enjoyed my ramblings about my allotment and garden I wish you all many years of gardening success.