August might feel like the end of the growing season, but there's still plenty you can plant to keep your vegetable patch going into autumn and beyond. While the weather can be warm and dry, many quick-growing crops and hardy varieties thrive when planted this month.

Experts at Gardeners' World say August is a great time to plant vegetables that offer short-term harvests, like salad leaves and spinach, as well as those that grow slowly through the colder months, such as broad beans and garlic. They add that with a bit of planning and extra watering during dry spells, you can sow now and enjoy fresh produce through autumn, winter and even next spring.

Here are five of the best vegetables to plant in August in the UK.

Spinach is quick to grow and perfect for planting late in the summer.

If you sow it in the second half of August, you could get a small crop of baby leaves by October.

After that, the plants often slow down or stop growing during the coldest months.

But they'll start producing again in early spring.

Sow spinach directly into fertile, well-watered soil and cover with a cloche as temperatures drop to protect it from frost.

Rocket grows fast and doesn't need much space, making it ideal for small gardens or pots.

Wild rocket sown early in the month can be harvested before winter sets in, then it will go dormant before regrowing in spring.

Salad rocket can survive frost if planted in late August, though it may bolt by April.

Keep the soil moist to stop the leaves turning bitter.

Spring onions don't germinate well in high heat, so cooler August days are a good time to sow.

You can sow directly into soil in thin rows or start them off in modules with a few seeds in each cell.

They'll be ready to pick from April. Water well and keep an eye on weeds, as spring onions don't like competition.

Turnips are one of the most reliable vegetables to sow in August.

You can plant seeds directly into the ground until mid-August or transplant seedlings grown in modules.

They germinate quickly and grow fast, so don't sow too many.

Thin the rows in early September to give them space to grow. Use fleece or mesh to protect young plants from pests like pigeons and cabbage root fly.

Lettuce sown in August can provide leaves for picking in early winter, especially if you choose hardy varieties.

To extend the season, cover your crop with a cloche from late September.

You can also grow lettuces in greenhouses or under cloches through winter, then harvest in spring.

Keep the soil moist and weed-free for the best results.

Experts recommend keeping seedlings watered during dry spells and delaying sowing if drought conditions are in place.