The great writer

A new job! Unpaid as usual. To write a monthly article on gardening for a free magazine.

Tricky.....what to write about each month.

Here's my favourite so far.....

Winding down for winter

As the mornings get colder and the dark nights draw in, it's tempting to close the curtains and forget about the garden. After all there isn't much happening out there right now – is there?

Well, yes there is. So button up your coat, pull on your wellies and let's take a look. I don't want to scare you but there is still plenty of work to do before you can curl up in that comfy chair with a warming cuppa.

At this time of year the garden tends to look a bit soggy and worn out. The leaves are falling in large clumps and the plants seemed weighed down with the wet and cold. You can help give it all a pick-me-up by clearing away leaves from the lawn and borders and cutting back any perennials that have finished flowering. Add this to your compost heap and give the whole thing a shuffle to get some air into the layers.

Have a look at your shrubs and trees as well. Are there any bits that are dead or diseased? Cut them out now before the damage gets any worse.

If the weather is very wet then it's best to keep off your lawn all together. But take advantage of any sunny days to give the grass a light trim over the top and tidy up the edges.

Then take a step back and look round the garden. Are you happy with it? Try taking some photos from different angles – low down or out of a window. You'll be amazed at how different your garden can look from another point of view. And with the borders freshly tidied and you should be able to see if there are any gaps that need filling.

If you do have any gaps then think about filling them with bulbs. There are plenty to choose from now in the garden centres. I like to go for the random approach of throwing the bulbs into the border and planting them wherever they land. This way you will get a more natural effect. But if your garden is more formal then regimented groups of solider-like tulips or daffodils always look effective.

Earlier this year, I was lucky enough to be given some wonderful Dahlias. But now that frosts are imminent it is time to think about how to store them for winter. At Anglesey Abbey (www.nationaltrust.org.uk/angleseyabbey/ ), where they have a stunning display of dahlias each year, they are always planted outside in their pots. At this time of year it is easy enough to dig up the pot, clean off the outside and remove any weeds. The foliage is cut right back to soil level, then the pot is kept, on its side, in a frost-free greenhouse until the new shoots begin to emerge in spring. They will need to be checked over regularly for signs of damp or insect damage.

Elsewhere in my garden, progress has been slow. I have drawn up a design and begun to think about the plants I want to grow. But I'm having to balance the long list of desirable plants with limited space and not so favourable growing conditions. Back in the summer I discovered that my main border sets like concrete in the sun and only desert plants seem to enjoy themselves.

I experimented by planting out my Echeveria, Aeoniums and Agave plants that usually live in the house. They had a great time basking in the sun. But I lost a delicious double purple Hellebore and a rich velvety leaved Saxifrage because I didn't think about the soil conditions enough. Lesson learnt I am studying Beth Chatto's garden (www.bethchatto.co.uk) to learn more about planting in hot and dry conditions. The new colour scheme will be silvers and blues and will include Hebe pinguifolia 'Pagei', Festuca glauca, Agapanthus (blue and white varieties), Helianthemum 'The Bride' plus one of my favourite plants Convolvulus cneorum with its silky silver leaves and large white flowers.

One part of the garden I have managed to complete is a border for my daughter – Little Mushroom. She choose some plants from around the garden which she helped to dig up and replant in her space. If it had pink flowers then she had to have it. So her border consists of a hardy geranium, a lupin and some Heuchera. She also planted some broad bean seeds. Pleased with her effort she then decided to accessorise by adding a gnome, a pink plastic pot (empty) and a fake – but scarily real looking – plastic hand. Sadly it's the pinkness of the plants that offends me more than the ornaments!

Happy Gardening