November marks the time that the garden party is over and it’s time for the tidy up, and that’s what I have been busy with in my garden this week.

The image of birds resting peacefully on a frosty tree branch is quite beautiful and I could watch them for hours, but (as my wife says) those fallen leaves won’t sweep themselves up! And they do really need cleared away, as otherwise they will smother and kill your lawn. Worse than that on pathways the leaves will become very slippery and dangerous to walk on. So, for an hour last week, my garden was leaf free, however I fear I will need to attack them again today.

I even gave my grass a last cut for the year this week, but I raised the mower blades a level in order I didn’t cut it too short - that would stop it from growing again!

I did not, however, cut back my deciduous herbaceous plants like asters, crocosmias and iris’ - I left them as they were as the extra foliage will protect them over the winter and I will cut them back in spring when they can release their new energy into new growth. I did cover one aster with mulch though as it was particularly exposed, but generally there shouldn’t be too much a need for that.

I didn’t want to “overstretch” myself and do too much in the one day, so next week, I will write about the plants we should be cutting back!

Happy gardening!

PLANT OF THE WEEK: LIQUIDAMBAR STYRACIFLUA ‘WORPLESDON’

Liquidambar are deciduous trees which can be seen in gardens across the country. They take on the most fantastically vibrant autumn red colour at this time of year and provide long-lasting colour throughout the season.

This particular variety is especially noticeable with it’s five-lobed, maple like leaves which turn bright red. As a tree, it takes about 10 to 20 years to reach it’s ultimate height of over 12 metres, with a spread of about 8 metres making it perfect for many gardens.