There’s still lots to do before winter comes

THERE’S no better place to be on a fine day in autumn than in the garden, when the earth smells sweet and there’s still a little warmth in the sun.

I’ve been making the most of every good spell to lift and split primulas and to plant bulbs.

At times, I’ve been kept company by a robin or a wren and by the resident hedgehog, which snuffles about in overgrown spots in search of slugs and grubs.

Sometimes I’ve caught a glimpse of a roe deer on the other side of the fence, while overhead the pink-footed geese that have made the long journey from Iceland, fly from their roosting sites down to the River Forth to spend their days feeding on the mudflats.

There’s a sense of arrivals and departures, of animals preparing for the cold months ahead, and in the garden I’m doing the same.

The last of the carrots have been lifted before the slugs could feast on them, I’ve potted up some parsley to bring indoors and I’ve cleared away salads that had run to seed.

Now I need to tackle the greenhouse, scrubbing it down and ridding it of bugs and old foliage that could harbour fungal diseases.

A dry day is best for this task as it allows the interior to dry out properly before it starts filling up again, so I’ve put this top of the list of jobs for the next sunny spell.

Meanwhile I’ve got lots more plants to life and split, including geums and hostas and I’m determined to find a new spot for the cirsium where it won’t swamp its neighbours.

I also need to tame the wild marjoram, which has, true to its name, run wild.

Our native form of oregano is a great addition to a garden if you have lots of space to fill, but it needs to be controlled.

“I told you that when I gave it to you,” my friend Carol reminded me when I subtly mentioned it had got out of hand.

She did indeed, but I ignored her warning, spreading the clumps that she gave me around the garden where they have proceeded to seed themselves into huge swathes of the stuff.

Still, the bees love them as do the butterflies.

In the last few days a huge red admiral has flitted into the garden on several occasions.

These beasties love rotting fruit so the overripe brambles on the far side of the fence are a good food source at this time of the year, but this one is also partial to the flowers in the garden, including the verbenas.

I can’t say I blame it, the flowers that bloom into the autumn months have a brilliance about them.

In the mornings they sparkle with dew and when backlit by sunshine they take on the colours of precious jewels.

All the pelargoniums, which will need to be lifted soon if they are to survive for another year, are displaying radiant hues and the nasturtiums are vibrant and vivid.

So even on days when I’m stamping my feet and blowing on my hands to warm them, I’m still glad to be outdoors.