JOBS for the week

■ Get a head start with hardy annuals and sow now. These can be sown in situ or in trays.

■ If you have an area set aside as meadow, it’s time to give it its autumn chop. Cut as close to ground as possible and remove cuttings. This allows the light in and helps germination of new seeds.

■ Remove summer raspberry canes that have finished fruiting. Next year’s fruit will be on the fresh green canes and these need tying in to supports. No raspberries? Think about ordering them and other fruiting canes such as blackberries now as you can plant them in the dormant season this winter.

■ While this beautiful weather continues and the ground is still warm it’s a good time to lift and divide perennials. They won’t all like division – for example, those with a tap root like a carrot, such as the cow parsley. When replanting divisions, give them a good soak and keep well watered to help them establish.

■ Dry days are good for seed collection. Armed with a brown paper bag and pen, shake the seed into the bag and label. Many seeds can be sown fresh now or kept in a dry cool place for spring sowing.

■ Start planting bulbs – you can get autumn flowering crocus in the shops now which should be planted immediately.

■ It’s a good time for soil improvement. While the earth is still pliable and not waterlogged, dig in your garden compost or fork in some well-rotted manure.