So says Emily Bronte, and I agree. In nature, leaves fall and form the basis of most of the organic matter that powers plant growth in the following year. So how as gardeners can we benefit from this natural phenomenon? Well, first we should sweep and rake up from paths and lawns if there's a heavy covering. Smaller amounts on lawns can be mowed without a grass-box and left with grass clippings as mulch to feed the lawn, they will quickly break down. Elsewhere, if we're not concerned with being too tidy (and there will be some areas where you might think you still need to be, and that's fine) we can let the leaves lie on our borders as a natural mulch. Here they will break down slowly and be pulled into the soil by worms and other soil dwelling organisms. In the borders many perennials are naturally going dormant in winter, and growing through fallen leaves is no different to growing back through soil. In fact, the leaves offer a layer of protection for them and the soil from the winter elements. We can brush leaves off the smaller evergreen plants. Most fallen leaves will blow around plants and when they get wet will begin decomposing, especially with a healthy ecosystem that includes slugs and snails (yes them!) and they also make fantastic habitats for beneficial animals like frogs and toads (which eat slugs and snails!). For the leaves we've raked up, we can create simple storage areas to make leaf mould. Pack them while damp into a wire frame container like the ones in the photo or use old compost bags with a few holes in the bottom. Leave them for a year or two, and through the cool and slow action of fungi (rather than the quicker acting bacteria that work in a compost heap) they will rot down into a lovely dark brown crumbly mix. Adding a few grass cuttings with the leaves will increase the nitrate content, so this is an additional option - and may happen naturally when raking leaves from lawns. Leaf mould is superb at improving soil structure, moisture retention, and drainage, while also providing a habitat for beneficial microorganisms and worms. It can be applied back onto borders as a soil conditioning mulch, additionally suppressing weeds, or used as an ingredient in homemade potting mixes. Bliss!

Actually, it turns out it's not about being green at all. The mind-shift needed is to accept and value brown - especially when a key aspect of utilising grasses is when they really come into their own through the autumn and how many of them stand well over winter. They offer form and structure - gleaming with early morning frost, drama through movement in the wind and beautiful visual effects as they filter the golden rays of afternoon sunlight. I spent such a good day with Roger and Jenny Lloyd in their fascinating garden at Highfield Farm with panoramic views across the hills and valleys of South Wales. Roger has an infectious delight in grasses - the garden is a showcase, maximising their beauty through clever planting combinations and careful consideration of how light is filtered through them towards the standpoint of the viewer. This is all really crucial stuff when working with grasses. What is also made clear here, is that amongst the many different species and varieties available to us, grasses offer so much potential not only to extend our interest deep into autumn, but they offer many exciting possibilities in design too. They work as dramatic specimen plants (think Cortaderia - the Pampas grasses - but with far better possibilities than the 1970s front garden staple we're so familiar with), as border structure (such as Miscanthus 'Morning Light' or Calamagrostis brachytricha), as informal screening (like Panicum virgatum 'Northwind' or Miscanthus sinensis 'Gracillimus'), or denser still as hedging (Minscanthus malepartus would be superb), as a naturalistic planting matrix (think Seslaria autumnalis, and Piet Oudolf) and when interacting with sunlight and the breeze (such as the arching Stipa gigantea, "golden oats" up to 2m in height, or Molinia 'Transparent' offering views through to Asters and Rudbeckias beyond). There's even the very useful "Hak-macs", Hakonechloa macra the Japanese forest grass, which is happy in deep shade or containers and available in bright green or the paler gold 'aureola'. What's particularly encouraging is Roger's approach to annual maintenance: take a herbaceous sickle or lightweight electric topiary trimmer and cut them down to 15-20cm in March - that's it! Grasses are relatively easy and undemanding to grow, so there's really only two problems... which varieties to choose, and which of your favourite late-flowering perennials to grow with them! Sounds more like fun than a problem to me.

Well now the rain has finally arrived it's nice to stay dry indoors and get on with taking some cuttings. Pelargoniums are ideal container plants for summer and look really super in a group display. They are tender perennials so won't survive outdoors in winter, and we'll be bringing those that have been outdoors this summer into the greenhouse. September is a great time to take Pelargonium cuttings when the plants are still in an active stage of growth. It's good to do this each year to both increase your stock and replace older plants which are losing their vigour. We're taking the healthiest growing tips, cutting from the parent plant just above a leaf joint on the main stem and then just below one on the cutting, keeping them quite short at between 8-10cm. The potting mix is 50-50 peat free compost and perlite to make sure it's free-draining, and 5 to 10 cuttings will easily fit into a 12cm plastic pot. Stripping away lower leaves and any flower buds before inserting them and watering in. They are prone to rotting so we're keeping them uncovered in a light, dry atmosphere, but it is important not to let them dry out. They will hopefully root within 2-3 weeks when there's visible new growth at the tips and white roots coming through the base of the pot. We'll keep them indoors just slightly moist and frost free during the winter and pot on individually in the spring when they will grow away strongly for display next summer. Hope it's not stopped raining yet - I'm having too much fun!

A superstar of the late summer border is Anemone x hybrida "September Charm" which brings masses of large rose pink, cup-shaped flowers on tall, wiry stems from July. Here as it's name suggests, it's a perfect herald of September and was lovely to see in the walled garden at Middleton Hall, Warwickshire. This is a reliable, free-flowering beauty perfect in partial shade bringing a wonderful romantic feel to any herbaceous or mixed border. It does need a but more water than we've had this summer, but I regularly plant and recommend to clients and I wouldn't be without it.

I've been on a journey for a while now to explore a more naturalistic approach to gardening and not being quite so tidy and in control. I had such joy to spend the day with the truly inspirational owner and gardener Sue Mabberley at her private garden Nant-y-Bedd (https://nantybedd.com/) in the Brecon Beacons immersing myself in her wisdom and teachings about "Wild Gardening". What did I learn? That we should as first principles focus on soil health and biodiversity. Sue is completely organic and "no-dig". She's right that there is in fact little true wildness in the countryside and that puts considerable pressure on wildlife. I was challenged to consider that we should be prepared to accept far greater spontaneity in how we garden - considering the value and contribution of plants which simply arrive and haven't been deliberately selected or designed into our gardens. We can go further still to "cultivate chaos" - work with self-seeders and copy nature by leaving seeds to germinate where they fall and by growing our vegetables in small clearings amongst Hesperis, Angelica and Red Campion. Sue specifically allows plants we might call garden invaders to shine and contribute alongside carefully chosen cultivated plants - Great Willowherb (Epilobium hirsutum) a favourite food of the Elephant Hawkmoth caterpillar, Allium triquetrum as part of an "edible forest" and even Ground Elder (Aegopodium podagraria) which was in full flower en-masse with glorious umbels of tiny white flowers - totally stunning! We also considered how the concept of Wabi Sabi can help us see beauty in imperfection - for example being tolerant of standing dead wood, damage and the natural ageing process of plants. Most importantly I saw more clearly than ever that a garden should fit into its landscape, be sympathetic to it, borrow from it - all a natural extension of right plant, right place. Finally, have you ever thought... how does your garden want to express itself?

The owners and gardening team at Sarsden Glebe, a beautiful private rectory garden and park laid out by Humphry Repton near Chipping Norton, have been fighting the devastating effects of box blight and both moth since 2017. They've had some extraordinarily good results too. I was pleased to spend the day with them to understand their approach to renovation, and to participate in the regime they follow to care for and improve their plants. As you can see in the photograph, we cut back affected box balls very hard to short framework of branches to encourage strong regrowth. This should be done in June or July so there is enough recovery time before the cooler/shorter days of autumn. A low box hedge can be treated similarly by cutting down to a height of about 15cm. All debris is cleared and burned. The team say that even plants defoliated by both moth caterpillar can be treated and saved by following this method. I saw examples treated like this from previous years - the regrowth has been very successful and the plants appear to be blight-free. But key to this is also the regime of watering and feeding. After giving the plants we had cut back a thorough soaking at the base, we used TopBuxus Grow - a pelleted slow-release feed - spread around the base of the plant which is then also heavily mulched. The TopBuxus Health-mix foliar feed is also used throughout the season mixed with TopBuxus XenTari to control the box moth. Applications are timed to coincide with the usual three generations of caterpillar in April, June/July, and September. The last is really important to stop any caterpillars over-wintering - something you can spot by the webbing of leaves to create a shelter. A further helpful measure is to increase air-flow particularly through the base of plants by removing low branches and ensuring there's a gap to the ground. I feel much more confident about following their lead in my work now - what a team, thanks guys!

It's May, it's Chelsea and I barely made it out of the floral marque all day. The display above was probably my favourite planting combination - from the fabulous Proctors Nursery in Staffordshire. The following caught my eye (and will be on the shopping list!) ... For foliage: Persicaria 'Purple Fantasy', Polystichum neolobatum, Arachniodes anistata 'Variegata', Seslaria nitida, Euphorbia 'Minors Merlot', Acer triflorium. For flowers: Rosa 'Mary Delany' (is there a more gorgeous climber?), Geranium himalayense 'Derrick Cook', Salvia 'Azure Snow', Lupinus 'Shirley Anne', Pimpernella major 'Rosea', Trollius x cultorum 'Full Moon', Penstemon digitalis 'Dakota Burgundy', Verbascum 'Southern Charm', Achillea millefollium 'Pretty Belinda', Craspedia globosa 'Golf Ball', Amsonia illustris, Lysimachia atropurpurea 'Beaujolais' and the simply gorgeous Calycanthus 'Venus'. And what did I come home with? The tiny common quaking grass Briza media - I think I spotted it all over the show gardens so it had to be that!

The seed potatoes are now chitted (they've been encouraged to sprout and these shoots are new visible) so it's time to start planting. Potatoes need a sunny growing site that's not prone to late frosts because this can damage the young shoots emerging in April and May. Here we're doing them in large containers in a protected south-facing spot. This is an easy method especially for early varieties which produce smaller plants and mature more quickly. Potatoes like rich, fertile ground so the bottom of each container is filled with 10-15cm of well-rotted manure. Then on top of that we're adding a 10-15cm layer of fresh compost. The potatoes are then placed on top of this with the sprouting side (or side spouting the most) face up. A even spacing of 7 or 8 in a container with a 50-60cm diameter will be fine before covering them with a further 10cm layer of additional compost. They then need watering in well and we'll need to keep them well watered throughout the growing season. The traditional way is to "earth up" the plants as they grow, so when the plants are putting out shoots about 20-25cm tall we will add in additional compost leaving just the very tops of each stem above. We'll continue this process probably a further three times or until the containers are filled with compost, and the foliage above has flowered and died right down - by which time they should be ready to harvest in July. Delicious - with mint and butter!

Making your own natural supports for herbaceous perennials like these delphiniums, using prunings from birch, hazel or willow is actually not as tricky as the finished structure often looks, and they are far more appealing than the plastic-coated metal ones you'll find in garden centres. It's worth saying that you need branches which are quite twiggy so you can knit them together to offer plenty of places for plants to rest against. You may have cut some suitable material already this winter but it's not too late to do that now. In fact March is the best time for getting your plant supports in place as new growth emerges but the plant is yet to grow strongly. You don't want leaves on your branches, but twigs with buds breaking actually look quite lovely. You must choose young branches which are supple enough to be bent and twisted. Older wood is too stiff and will be likely to snap. Next, cut the bottom of the sticks on an angle so they are easier to push into the soil around the emerging plant in a circle, making sure they are firm in the ground. Then intertwine each branch by weaving it into the ones either side to form a stable shape (be creative!), and bend some of the twigs over the top of the plant, weaving them together with the stick opposite. I'm sure you can design a support for any of your perennials, including dahlias, and you can use the same method round the sides of large planters too. Always aim for having your finished structure about two thirds as tall as you expect the mature plant to be. This should provide enough support when fully grown and eventually the support will be hidden. I guarantee you'll then be just a little disappointed as you'll have enjoyed admiring your artisan support creation!

This coming Valentine's Day is a good reminder that now is the time for winter pruning your roses to get them ready to come into growth. I've been working with the team at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens pruning their rose garden - and what a satisfying job it is to do! Make sure your secateurs are absolutely clean and sharp before you start - remove all the sticky residue with wire wool, sharpen them up with a diamond file before spraying with a good garden disinfectant (like Citrox or Hortisept Pro). For established shrub roses remove all the dead, dying, diseased, damaged, crossing and rubbing stems and aim for well-spaced stems that allow free air flow. You can't go wrong by shortening the remaining stems by between a third and a half - go in harder the more vigorous the plant. Newly planted roses can be cut back much harder to encourage new vigorous growth. With larger stems use a good quality pruning saw or loppers (following the same hygiene routine) and don't be tempted to strain your secateurs. I'm using Uncle Tom's Rose Tonic ordered from The Rose Society UK to give my roses a feed and don't forget to add a generous layer of garden compost mulch round your plants too. Feeding and mulching will keep your roses strong and help them fend off pests and diseases

It's impossible to think of the January garden without thinking about the common snowdrop - Galanthus nivalis. These are the first group to grace my garden and not only do they give us cheer in the depths of winter, they provide an important early source of nectar and pollen for bees at a time when there is so little available. They are the highlight of many public gardens at this time of year, so make sure you go out and find some and you'll be amazed by how many varieties there are.  I learned recently that snowdrop seeds are dispersed by ants attracted to the oil-rich structure called elaiosome which surrounds the seeds. They take the seeds back to their nests, eat the elaiosome and discard the seeds so helping to distribute them. As gardeners we commonly propagate snowdrops by lifting and dividing clumps in March or April after they've flowered and as the foliage turns yellow - which may seem slightly at odds with saying this is when they're "in the green". You can split the clumps into smaller clusters but try to create as little disturbance to the bulbs as possible. Horticulturalists may also propagate using the more advanced techniques of chipping or twin-scaling (ask google!) because this should produce more new plants in a shorter amount of time. Could be something to try if you're a serious or budding Galanthophile?

As long as the ground isn’t frozen or waterlogged this time of year is good for planting trees. This is Cotoneaster 'Cornubia' a lovely small semi-evergreen tree with creamy-white flowers in spring which are very attractive to bees, followed by an abundance of vivid red berries in autumn and winter which are popular with birds. Simple planting rules: soak the root ball first, dig a hole three times as wide as the root ball (but no deeper), tease the roots out when sited in the hole, back fill with soil ensuring the point where the trunk meets the root is level with the surrounding ground before finally firming in to remove air pockets. Here I’ve used a tree guard to protect from unwanted wildlife interest and most important of all is a generous mulch layer 8-10cm deep in a ring doughnut shape to retain moisture and keep away weeds. A single stake would be fine at 45 degrees or to be super posh parallel vertical stakes like this will hold it very steady. Just remember to adjust the ties as your tree grows.

Building a dead hedge is a very satisfying job to do at this time of year. If you're making design changes such as the work I'm doing here in this woodland garden or maybe looking to establish a wildlife area it's the perfect way to re-use what would otherwise be woody garden waste like dead windfall and prunings from trees and large shrubs. As a highly sustainable gardening practice, re-using what we have on site is significant in saving energy by not transporting the waste away from the garden. It also provides an excellent wildlife habitat as the slowly decaying wood is a perfect host for fungi and invertebrates as well as providing shelter for birds and small mammals. If you're very lucky maybe even a hedgehog! Once you've positioned and driven in your uprights securely, just weave through the largest branches and pack in all the clippings tightly as you build up the layers.You can top up the hedge throughout the year with hedge clippings and other material you've cut back. If you've not got enough, perhaps your neighbours may be willing to contribute their woody waste too?

With the clocks going back soon and before the first frost of the Autumn, now is the time to bring in your tender perennials like these pelargoniums to over-winter in a cool but frost-free greenhouse. A great job for a sunny day like today! First clean off any dead leaves or dying flowers and check for signs of pests and diseases. Once potted up they shouldn't need any watering if the soil is still moist, and you can let that gradually dry out during November. For now though you can still enjoy the blooms and their evocative scent of Mediterranean holidays. Light is still important in the winter so after the flowers have faded you can trim back and they will continue re-growing and bushing out. As always with your greenhouse, ventilate as often as possible to keep the atmosphere around your plants dry.

We plant bulbs when they are dormant, so it's important to plan ahead for displays next spring by ordering and planting bulbs this autumn. There's often loads of special offers from online suppliers so shop around. I've started planting daffodils and into October I'll be doing more adding in crocus, iris, muscari, hyacinth, chionodoxia and then tulips once we get into November. I've even been known to be planting on Christmas Eve! We delay to November with tulips to decrease the risk of the fungal disease tulip fire. When planting in borders make sure the area is as weed free as possible and the soil isn't compacted. I always lightly fork the soil over first and then look to plant in blocks and groups. Single "soldiers" always look odd so if in doubt order more than you think you need and be generous in your planting groups. Invest in a good bulb planter and wait until the soil has had some rain so it's not such hard work! I do a lot of containers and it's important to choose a good quality, free-draining, soil-based compost (or peat-free compost mixed with some top-soil) and definitely add some grit. Whether you go for a single variety or plant up a "bulb lasagne" with multiple varieties planted in layers at different depths is very much a personal choice. Maybe do both! Talking of depths - a good rule of thumb is 2-3 times the height of a bulb. Reject any bulbs which are soft or mouldy and never plant with bulbs touching each other to reduce the spread of any disease. I always water bulbs in after planting to settle the soil around the bulbs, and after that for bulbs in beds and borders you'll not need to water again as rainfall will be sufficient. But, once those in containers start growing strongly in the spring - keep an eye on the soil and if it feels dry, water them. Be bold in your plans for displays because when spring comes you'll be so glad to see the results!

I spent a great day alongside brilliant Head Gardener Neil Munro at the historic Hill Close Gardens in Warwick. They've a wonderful collection of apple trees, many of which are heritage varieties and it was such a pleasure to work on the trained forms for their summer pruning. Very different in purpose to winter pruning, in the summer it's all about letting light in to help ripen the fruit and to improve airflow through the trees to help limit attack by pests such as woolly aphid and diseases such as powdery mildew. Concentrate on pruning back only the vigorous (usually vertical) new growth, distinguished as a different colour to the previous years growth which should be visible above the rings or scars of the basal leaf cluster. This will generate a surprising volume of prunings, as can be seen in our wheelbarrows here, but this will lessen the work to do in winter when you're looking to work on the shape and form of the trees. All these young shoots can be cut back to between 3-5 buds above the basal cluster, making your cut above a outward facing bud. Check not to remove the shorter growth (probably 20cm or less) terminating in fruiting buds - these will be rounded/furry whereas leaf buds will be flat/scale-like. With espaliers you must leave a leader on every branch (tying it in before starting pruning is a good idea) and with a cordon leaving the leader at the top. This will ensure any rush of new growth after pruning will go into the leader. Doing this should hopefully promote the formation of fruiting spurs in subsequent years and the tree will look really tidy as a result too.

Such a privilege working on topiary with the very skilful Chris Poole (former Chair of the European Boxwood & Topiary Society) at the fabulous Chiswick House, West London. The garden was created mainly by the architect and landscape designer William Kent and it is one of our earliest examples of the English Landscape Garden. Topiary is generally thought of as the the art of training evergreen trees and shrubs into intricate or stylized shapes and forms but it also includes the more general activity of close clipping of decorative and formal hedges and the shaping of shrubs. A technique we've been using here is "crown lifting" and this is something I do often as it can create a more open and airy appearance, showcasing the tree or shrub's structure and form. This is done by removing the lower branches to produce trunks or stems that are taller and clearer. It allows allows more light and air through the canopy and importantly opens up the view beyond and offers opportunities for underplanting all to greater aesthetic effect. What's particularly interesting is to consider shaping the lifted canopy further either to better define it as a single mass or to create different "limbs". Taking this further the Japanese refer to "niwaki" - literally translated as garden trees - where the principles and techniques of training involve not only observing nature but also actively interpreting it. That is to say the way we conceive natural balance influences how we prune, shape and train our garden plants. It's fascinating and so enjoyable seeing the results of your work.

A cottage garden favourite for a sunny border - purple lupins looking great here with Alchemilla mollis. Related to peas and beans, lupins along with other legume producing plants are part of the Fabaceae family. Border lupins typically grow to about 1.5m in height with stunning, colourful flowers from late spring through to mid-summer - I love them. They prefer well-drained but moist soil, with a tolerance of a wider range of conditions so should be happy enough in sandier soils too. In the border they're best positioned in a spot with some shelter from the wind as this could damage the tall flower spikes. Deadhead them when flowers are finishing before they set seed, to encourage the production of new flower heads. You may need to provide protection from slugs and snails and keep an eye out for aphids especially on young new growth. When watering plants try not to wet the leaves and direct the water at the base - best practice when watering anyway. This along with correct spacing to encourage air flow around plants to reduce humidity will help protect from powdery mildew to which they are susceptible. I remove any affected growth from the plant during the growing season. Sometimes this can make plants look a bit tatty, so in October I cut them down almost completely to the ground Lupins are relatively short lived so it's best to think ahead and plan replacements or increase your stock by taking basal cuttings in the early spring as plants start to come back to life. The strike rate should be good!

I think it's important to create good routines around keeping pruning tools clean and sharp - it'll help them last longer, improve their performance and limit the spread of plant diseases and viruses. This is what I do: first clean off dried-on sap and leaf resin with a Niwaki crean mate - a great little scouring block you use like a rubber on the blade. Just wet it a bit first - its so much better than wire wool. Once the metal is clear and smooth, a wipe over with camelia oil will give great protection. Regularly spraying with Citrox disinfectant and wiping with a cloth when using pruning tools during the day will help deter a build up of resin too. For sharpening: I use a whetstone soaked in water using long, full, slow movements down and across the blade always maintaining the same angle. One flat swipe on the back will remove any burrs before wiping off again with camelia oil. I do carry a fine diamond file with me for secateurs to use during the day if needed though I don't use this on shears. Always store tools dry and clean and they'll serve you well for years.

At this time of year there's often quite a bit of spent compost particularly if you're emptying pots ready for summer planting and from seed propagation. What is less well known is that it’s probably not recommended to put old compost into your council green bin. Old compost may have run out of nutrients, but it is far from useless so here's a few ideas to think about trying. Start by adding some gradually in layers (with grass clippings and vegetable kitchen waste) to your compost bin. The microbial activity along with the mixing action of worms and other creatures living in your compost will reinvigorate the old compost and it won't be long before you can put it to use on your garden. You could reuse it straight away for your containers by mixing the spent (60-70%) with well-rotted manure or new garden compost (30-40%) or you could add straight onto the garden as mulch. Adding directly onto borders won't provide much in the way of nutrients to the plants in its spent form, but it will supress weeds and like all organic matter it will, over time, improve aeration and help to feed the soil organisms, which in turn will help to release nutrients to your plants. Also, it's perfect for adding to any dips or patches in your lawn that need to be reseeded - I use spent seed compost for this particularly. Just don't ever be tempted to use old seed compost for propagation - you need to be sure what you use for this purpose is not harbouring any diseases. Finally, it's worth remembering that any compost you can reuse in your garden will likely save on the environmental costs of manufacture, packaging and transport associated with buying in new bags.

A beautiful and more elegant shrub than Forsythia heralding the arrival of spring (my photo doesn't do it justice) Corylopsis, or winter hazels and a member of the witch hazel family (Hamamelidaceae) are the ones I most look forward to seeing. There are 29 different species, mainly varying in height and spread so there should be one suitable for any garden size, If you have humus-rich, well-drained soil and a spot in light share, you really should have one. Like witch hazels, all have a habit of horizontal branching, the tallest and hardiest is C. glabrescens and the smallest, arguably the cutest and ideal for small gardens is C. pauciflora. Both are native to Japan and the name Corylopsis means "resembling a hazelnut". The real joy of these graceful beauties are the bell-shaped yellow flowers with paler yellow or even cream bracts, which form in dense racemes - produced mostly on naked stems or alongside soft, deeply veined, bright green leaves as they emerge. If that doesn't confirm its place in the garden for you, autumn colour in various shades of yellow adds further interest. Underplanted with Sarcococca, hellebores and miniature daffodils and you'll be drawn outside even on the chilliest early March days.

Thanks to the lovely people of the Balsall Common Horticultural Society I was able to put a question to the Gardeners Question Time panel for the show broadcast on Radio 4 on 23rd February. That was fun! Having sown lots of seeds for hardy perennials such as Echinops, Echinacea and Monarda last Autumn I was curious to know if they thought doing this was an advantage over waiting until the following Spring. As James Wong pointed out Spring is a crazy busy time for sowing seeds, so getting ahead with those that will come through the Winter by sowing in Autumn definitely seems helpful. Though I was concerned the young seedlings have been struggling through the Winter cold (protected from the wet at least in the cold frame) they are now showing more encouraging signs of growth as Christine Walkden suggested they would. Hopefully she'll be right in saying they will be tougher plants as a result too. If you want to grow hardy perennials from seed which will flower this year now is still a great time. Seeds need water, oxygen and the right temperature to germinate. Controlling the first two is pretty straight forward - just don't over-water, they really don't need much. I recommend using an adjustable heat mat or heated propagator so you can give individual seed types the right temperature they need to promote speedy germination. This information is always printed on the packet. Good luck, if all goes well you'll have many plants for a fraction of the price of those potted-up for you in garden centres!

A mild dry day in January like today is perfect. I'm following the principles of "regulated pruning" and the most important thing to do first is to take your time and properly assess the tree before making a single cut. Most damage to mature trees is caused by hard pruning - so taking away a maximum of 10% of the growth should be your first rule. If a tree needs more work to restore its shape, form and fruiting potential, then we'll need to do this over two, or three or more years. It is better to prune a tree lightly each year than go in hard and trigger lots of unproductive vegetative growth. We always start with removing the dead, diseased, dying and damaged wood and then anything crossing or rubbing. After that I look to remove any growth forming a narrow angle to the trunk or growing towards the centre of the tree - we always want to maintain or create an open structure allowing the light in and the air to circulate. Next we can remove or significantly reduce all the vigorous upright growth originating from a horizontal branch. Many of these will be watershoots and we want to encourage horizontal growth, which is where the new fruiting spurs will develop. Finally, the shape and habit of the tree should guide us to consider reducing any of the lateral branches which look too long for the size of the tree or which may bow down and break under the weight of the crop. Here we're looking to select a younger horizontal replacement branch that will take up the vigour as a branch leader after we make our pruning cut. It's easy to feel daunted and under pressure to make all the right decisions when pruning - I do! But by following these rules rather than worrying about some complicated doctrine, and by never going in too hard, hopefully it'll be an enjoyable task. Your tree will definitely thank you and gardening is supposed to be enjoyable after all!

It’s been very interesting learning more about automated watering. Aside from the relatively high cost of setting up (compared to your trusty old watering can!) there’s potentially some great benefits. More controlled watering delivered directly to the roots will reduce water wastage through evaporation or inaccurate watering practices. Of course saving water is vitally important in following sustainable gardening practices, but if you’re on a metered supply it will save you money too. Regular and consistent watering helps plants establish healthy root systems which will be more effective in taking up nutrients, and the whole plant will maintain better cellular health giving greater resistance to diseases and from adverse temperatures. The system seems really flexible with a timer and pipes that can be easily cut and joined so they deliver the water exactly where and when you need it. Something for your Christmas gift list?

Here's an enjoyable indoor job for a very rainy day! I'm planting Erythronium dens canis 'Lilac Wonder' in pots so they'll be ready to put into a woodland garden when we plant out in early spring. Also known as the Dog's Tooth Violet, these shade loving little jewels are brilliant nestled underneath shrubs or trees. In April/May they will put out dainty reflexed purple flowers above a neat clump of attractive mottled foliage. You'll have to Google them to see just how beautiful they are. Planting bulbs in pots is a good idea if you have plans to redesign an area of the garden over autumn/winter and you're not able to put them directly into the ground. Just remember to provide a free draining compost with plenty of grit and don't forget to label them clearly. I'm adding a layer of perlite on top of the compost which should help ensure that either a soggy top or hard crust doesn't form on the surface

Have you considered adding Leonotis leonurus, or Lion's Tail to your borders? A wonderful, yet tender, semi-evergreen shrub from southern Africa often treated as a half-hardy annual with whorls of reddish orange to red flowers which explode up the tall stems like fireworks in the Autumn. Needs to be sited in a sheltered/frost free location or in a container you can bring into a greenhouse over winter. Looking splendid here in October sunshine against a warm wall where in a good year it can grow up to 2m and really makes an impact!

Form in garden design refers to the shape of objects in the landscape. Form is what you see when first looking at a border from a distance – the shape of the trees and shrubs on the skyline. Every plant has a distinct habit, a unique shape and size which develops and changes as the plant matures. Sometimes it's the natural form you're seeking from a plant and of course this can be very beautiful, but you can also manipulate form in a design to create specific shapes and produce something truly dramatic. I had to share this - it's the gardens of Sudeley Castle in Gloucestershire which I visited today and where they give a masterclass in form expressed through topiary and the views of the landscape beyond. Stunning!

When it comes to pruning wisteria people can often get confused about what needs doing and when. Actually it's not complicated: it's all about controlling the size of what is a very vigorous plant and improving flowering. In summer we prune after flowering, by cutting back the whippy green shoots of the current year’s growth to five or six leaves. In fact we're doing this rather late here as traditionally this is a job for July and August - but it's been so wet this summer and it'll be fine. Then when the plant is dormant in January or February we can cut back the shoots we pruned in summer to two or three buds, to tidy things up ahead of active growth in the Spring. If you follow this two-stage process you'll promote greater numbers of flowers and be able to see them more easily too. Sorted!