Not so green, but it’s a pheasant land

THERE’S a smell of autumn in the air now and the sun is sinking lower every day.

The grass is littered with the spiky remains of chestnut husks left behind by the squirrels as they crack open the shells to reveal the nuts that will help to sustain them through the winter.

But we’ve seen very few pheasants – a sign that the local estate has changed its stocking or feeding regime for the birds – and I miss their colourful presence, even if they do have a habit of shredding plants with their sharp claws.

Everything is getting ready for winter, me included.

Already I’ve moved some of the more tender plants into the polytunnel, the garden furniture has been stowed in the garage and I’ve begun sweeping up the leaves that fall on the paths and patio.

Doing this daily helps to stop moss and algae building up on the paving stones, but we leave the grassy areas untouched until there’s been a big fall and even then the lawns are covered again within an hour of being cleared.

The Chestnut tree in front of the house was the first to change colour.

Now the crack willows are showing pale yellow through the green and the first signs of bronze are emerging on the Beech trees.

The Japanese maple in a neighbour’s garden has turned scarlet and the field maples that grow in the woodland are beginning to show their first colourful tints.

Clusters of golden cones hang high up in the fir trees, but some were shaken loose by the recent storms and I’ve been filling my pockets with them.

I like to have a good supply for Christmas decorations, and the rest make kindling for the log burner.

You can also use them as a decorative mulch in window boxes and other containers, where their rough surfaces act as a barrier against slugs.

Parts of the country have already had their first frost and mulch of all kinds can help to protect the roots of plants that might otherwise be damaged by cold weather.

Plants in pots are particularly vulnerable as frost can penetrate through the sides, so if you have anything that’s too large to bring indoors, then wrap it up now in bubblewrap or any protective material.

I’ve just done this to my fig tree, and I’ve moved it hard against the wall of the house for extra protection. You can get special wheels to fit below heavy pots that make this task easier but I use my son’s skateboard.

This time of year is dahlia season but if a hard frost is forecast then it’s worth picking as many flowers as you can find vases for and bring them indoors before they are destroyed.

Soon it will be time to lift dahlia tubers and chrysanths but, for the moment, their gorgeous, colourful blooms are amongst the many highlights of the season.