Time to relocate and sow

Ruth sows hardy annuals and moves plants to a new site

- Ruth Hayes

AS September draws on, I’m spending time cutting back spent perennials, removing annuals that have had their day, and deciding what to do with the gaps they leave.

Early autumn is the perfect time to plant, as the soil is still holding on to summer warmth and is dampened by showers. Anything planted now has time to establish and put on root growth before it beds down for winter, and hardy annuals sown now will nestle into the soil and burst into life next spring.

One of the delights of this summer has been the unexpected appearance of a night-flowering catchfly (Silene noctiflora) in a corner of the garden.

A member of the campion family and standing a good 3ft (1m) tall, it is a delight, with starry flowers in white and shades of pink that open as the day ends, and hairy stems that feel sticky to the touch.