Lawns – so it’s a busy time on your lawn in October, but here’s a tip to make life easier! For those final mowings of the season, use the mower to shred the leaves and add organic humus to the lawn – it saves you the problem of sweeping them up!

Soil testing: Just because a garden appears to be doing well doesn’t mean it’s safe or that it can’t be more productive  

November is a good time for contemplation. Take a good luck at your lawns. Happy with them? If not, look at an action plan for next year in terms of what needs doing and when.

There are some good companies operating nationally who will come and renovate your lawn and carry out all maintenance leaving you to do just the mowing to do!

A month to say goodbye to the old year and prepare for the new one!

Lawns - Need detailed advice on creating a new lawn or maintaining/renovating an existing one? Then Google the ‘Lawn Association’ a recently formed organisation for the benefit of both professional and home garden people.

Clear up and tidy! A bit of thought and action now will prevent trouble next year.

Remove the last fading blooms from roses and cut back taller stems by half to prevent winter ‘wind rock’ from loosening the plants roots.

In the herbaceous border you can take and root cuttings from perennials such as fuchsias, pelargoniums and Salvias.