Peter Dowdall: Extend summer colour into autumn in a garden

Keep the season going by deadheading annuals in the hanging baskets, window boxes and patio containers

Very often our best month in terms of weather, August, always reminds me that we are in the second half of the year.

Subtle nuances abound that let us know we are heading into autumn, such as ornamental grasses going to seed, perennials perhaps looking a bit faded, berries on the trees beginning to change from green to their winter colour and, dare I say it, the evenings are noticeably shortening.