With autumn here, I can’t wait to get out into the garden to start moving plants around. All year long I have looked at my patch and visited the gardens I have put together, and thought: “Hmmm: that plants needs moving, that plant needs dividing, that plant needs pruning!”. It is a never ending creative task and maybe that is why it is so appealing.

Now is the time to get your bulbs in too: it is still relatively mild, so getting daffodils, snowdrops, aconites and crocus into the ground will pay dividends next year. It doesn’t feel like a hardship either: with the crisp mornings and a bite in the air, seeing the changing colours is a joy. There is immense satisfaction to be gained from working as a Romsey Garden Designer but there seems to be never ending procession of hues to enjoy that vary always vary from year to year.

When you are not admiring the trees and gulping in the fresh air, jobs to do this month include:

Pruning roses to prevent damage during the windy, winter months. As a rough rule of thumb, prune shrub and bush roses back by about a third. Climbers and ramblers can be thinned by about a third too.
Get your compost area primed and ready for the autumn: make sure you have a waterproof cover as this will help retain the heat. Old carpet or sheets are ideal. If you can have your compost heap on soil rather than a hard surface, you will give access to those all-important worms.
Harvest your fruit, but bear in mind that if you don’t remove all the protecting netting, you will allow birds to feed off those pesky pests.
Cut back the perennials that have died down, but again, think about leaving plants that have seeds for the winter birdlife.
This is the best time of year for lawn repairs as the soil is still warm and the amount of rainfall is increasing. For the best results, undertake the three main jobs of scarifying, aerating and applying topsoil.
Pots and containers can easily become waterlogged in winter. By taking them off their saucers and by giving them “feet” to keep them off the ground, you will ensure good drainage.

Last week I saw a four year old carefully collecting the brightest coloured leaves that had fallen on a path: she was not the least bit bothered as to how long it would take. Her parents eventually starting joining in.

Now that is what I call adult learning.