The laurels I was resting on last month have been swept up along with everything else! Autumn is in full swing. I am trying to get all the bulbs planted in the next couple of weeks, although it won't hurt if the tulips are left a bit longer, as late planting helps prevent 'tulip fire'.

Bulbs, winter bedding (like violas), and highly scented evergreens such as Sarcococca, and Skimmias, are being placed close to the house. They are all in pots.

I must remember to cover bulbs with chicken-wire. Even more important is to raise the pots off the ground, either with pot feet or bricks. Waterlogging and cold can kill even the hardiest plants.

Emptying the leaf boxes is well under way. This year we are dismantling the old boxes, made of chickenwire and old pallets. Instead we are going to use the canvas builders' bags, they will be a lot easier to handle. The leaf mould is definitely worth all the effort, lovely stuff. The majority is being spread on the 'woodland area', which has lost its identity a bit since we had to have lots of branches removed. I am planting some small Acers, as a reward for all my hard work (with Rootgrow, as they won't get a lot of attention down there).

The greenhouse doors are open and the fans have been checked. Only cold air will circulate until a really cold snap, when the doors will be closed and the fans switched to just frost-free, as it is crucial to maintain good ventilation to keep mould at bay.