Colin Evans

There's that autumn feel in the air in the mornings now and no mistake, with damp grass and the evenings drawing in there is no doubt the garden is taking on the season of late summer.

Although this summer has been wet and sometimes cold, garden plants have still been able to show us some wonderful colour and the fruit trees, especially apples and pears are still looking good in spite of this.

Carry on mowing - in the right conditions

To mow, or not to mow

The lawn, though has seen the benefits of this dodgy summer and has just lapped up the rain - even when it was flooded the lawns bounced back and look all the better for it.

I am frequently asked if lawn mowing comes to an end once summer is over and I always reply, if the grass is dry and frost free then there is no reason why a light cut should not be carried out.

It is especially important this year as the rain has given us some very green lawns so to capitalize on this grass should still be cut throughout the autumn. I even mow my lawn in the winter and am rewarded with good strong grass which will weather the hottest of summers, if they still exist.

Make sure grass clippings are collected though as wet dying grass on top of the lawn will cause browning, so clear all debris to the compost heap once the lawn is cut. If the garden looks a bit below par, I always say running the mower over the lawn and trimming the edges will make the garden look a hundred times better.

Ornamental grasses

If you have a minimalist style of garden - one where pots, stones and gravel are used - then you will know that ornamental grasses look very dramatic and soften the hard areas.

Indeed if you have the more conventional style of garden, the grasses will still have a part to play either in borders or in pots.

Millium effusum 'Aureum'

My favourite is Millium effusum 'Aureum', which is being introduced by nurseries for 2008, so look out for it in this winter's plant catalogues or nurseries. This attractive form of perennial millet grass with amazing golden yellow foliage grows to 45-60cm (18"-24") tall.

Unlike many grasses Millium effusum 'Aureum' grows well in lightly shaded borders and looks spectacular in containers, creating a glow wherever it is planted. This variety has a long sowing period from December to April, or June to July.

What to do with fruit

Harvest top fruit such as apples and pears before they drop off and become food for the slugs. If you are unable to use the fruit from large crops then either give them away or make pies and crumbles to freeze for use later in the year.

Try not to let the fruit rot in borders as this encourages pests and diseases to set up home and fruit left on the lawn will rot and make a real mess. You can of course store top fruit but you must select the very best and healthiest of them.

Fruits wrapped in paper and placed next to each other in trays or boxes and stored in a frost free, cool and dimly lit place should last for a few months. They will need checking over and unhealthy fruits removed to prevent the others going the same way. Some of you will know how to bottle such fruits so I will leave that to you.

Tomato plants and spring bulbs

Remove all lower foliage from tomato plants to let the sun and air get to the fruits to aid ripening. A banana or other ripe tomatoes placed at the bottom of plants will help the ripening process as well. Keep feeding the plants until you have finished picking and remove any that are below par.

Decide which spring bulbs you want for next year and select the places where you will plant them. If they are to be planted in the open ground then make sure the area is weed free and dig well down to create and open soil.

Dig in plenty of organic matter and apply a little mulch in the form of leaf mold or compost and just leave the area to settle down.

Bulb catalogues will be available soon or you can go to the local garden centre where spring bulbs are now available. Happy gardening!