THERE are a lot of jobs to be doing in the garden at the start of September, but summer isn't over yet so take time to enjoy it as well whilst the weather is, hopefully, warm and late summer plants are still producing their bright blooms.

Pots will still need watering at this time of year. Annuals will keep going until the first frosts so watering needs to continue as it has done all summer, as does that of permanent specimens.

It is easy to forget about trees and shrubs kept year after year in pots as they just become part of the scene and can be neglected. I treat them like annuals and water them daily in spring and summer and even into autumn if they are still growing, only stopping in winter when they become dormant. In fact it is best to keep their soil fairly dry in winter as damp, frozen soil may kill the plant off.

It is surprising how well a tree will do when kept in a container and how small that pot can be. We have a three-year-old Liquidamber in a glazed blue pot about 45cm across and 36cm high supporting a tree more than two metres high and still growing. Of course, the tree won't reach its full potential of 15m but it is a good way of keeping a small tree in a limited space.

The one I have is a variegated variety, Liquidamber styraciflua 'Variegata' or 'Silver King' with mainly cream margined green leaves and a few completely cream ones, especially those on shoots growing from the lower part of the trunk. The stems of these shoots are even cream, giving the impression of a lacy petticoat flowing around the base of the plant. In autumn, the leaves become flushed with deep pink before they fall.

Conifer hedges can be trimmed back in late August or early September. It is a good time to do them as nesting birds will have gone, although it is wise to check as it is illegal to disturb them as well as being cruel.

Earlier cutting isn't really possible because of birds while later cutting may encourage new growth that could be damaged by frosts and cold winter winds. A single cut now should keep the hedge neat until this time next year.

One of the problems with any hedge trimming is the amount of stuff that has to be gathered up, especially if the hedge is behind a bed of flowers or shrubs. One way of collecting the pruning is by covering the area affected with a lightweight sheet and doing small sections at a time clearing the sheet regularly before it gets too full or heavy. It is also possible to buy a hedge trimmer with a collecting bag attached. These tend to work better on well maintained hedges where the growth is short.

It is also time to start planting spring flowering bulbs and in particular daffodils which benefit from earlier rather than later planting.

Dry bulbs will be available from garden centres and nurseries or by mail order from specialist nurseries from now - choose large, firm specimens and avoid any that are showing signs of growth either shoots or roots, or if they are soft or have signs of disease or mould.

Use a reputable supplier if ordering from a catalogue or on-line and contact the company straight away if the bulbs are unsatisfactory on delivery.

Daffodil bulbs need to be planted in a hole deep enough to give a covering of soil twice the height of the bulb. They prefer a well-drained soil and will grow in sun or light shade.

Other bulbs that can be planted in September include allium - cover with soil three times the height of the bulb and place in full sun in well-drained conditions and spring flowering crocus. The planting depth for the corms is 7.5cm/3ins and they also require a well-drained spot in sun or light shade.

Finally, keep picking sweet pea flowers to keep the final blooms coming. The foliage will look rather faded and ragged now, but the plants should still have enough energy to keep going until the weather becomes too cold.

Keep removing the faded flowers from pelargoniums as well. Take the flower stalk back to the main stem and just snap it off. These sun loving plants will keep going until the first frosts and can be fed every couple of weeks right up until this point.

Although they are generally grown as tender annuals in this country they are in fact perennial and will flower all year in warmer climates.

Garden News

SEDUMS are excellent late summer flowering plants that have a long season of interest from early spring, when the first new rosettes of leaves appear, to winter with the dry flower heads that will remain in tact on the plant for weeks.

Gardening Which? (August 2006) reports that a new variety is set to hit the garden centres soon.

The compact growing Sedum 'Postman's Pride' is named after a Belgian postman who spotted it in his garden. Its purple foliage has a blue tinge to it rather than the usual reddish hue of other dark-leafed varieties and the pinkish red summer blooms darken to burgundy in autumn.

Garden TV and radio

Sunday.

Radio Leeds, 9am, Tim Crowther with Joe Maiden.

Gardeners Question Time, Radio 4, 2pm, Chris Beardshaw, Bob Flowerdew and Anne Swithinbank answer questions from gardeners in Buckinghamshire.Peter Gibbs is in the chair.And at the GQT garden, the team explain how to grow watercress, iris and Japanese onions.

Friday.

Gardeners World, BBC2, 8.30pm, Monty creates a place to sit and dream, with a slate seat and fragrant herbs, and Carol plants spring bulbs.