Colourless days.

Hawthorn, crabapple, Scot’s pine, wych elm, horse chestnut, sessile oak, Italian alder, juniper, hazel, blackthorn, Norway spruce, Western hemlock – these are some of the trees planted out or saplings potted on in the past few weeks.

It has been a busy round of renovating quite a few spaces throughout the garden.

New canes have also been put in place to repopulate the Raspberry republic – in the Kailyard, the Front garden, and by the wooden Stile: An escalation of the Footpath.

More space has been cleared by the side of the woodshed extending the Little Wood, and snowberry has been planted along the perimeter edge here.

In the Front and Juilie’sgarden climbing roses are again pruned and honeysuckle tied in to trellises.

It is time to take stock and prepare for next year – and just a general tidying of all spaces. The bare bones of the garden can be seen clearly and planning can be made for what stays or goes, what should be altered.

A new area of wild flowers has been planted by the front gate so that these now frame the entranceway, and the yew hedging has been extended around the Roman Garden and behind Wood Wind Song.

The damaged Gates stone has been repaired and is back in place and covered to keep it safe through the coming months.

Throughout the garden woody shrubs have been cut back into shape and kept in proportion to their settings.

A necessary job of clearing gutters of leaves around the house and Temples has been completed.

The main store room has also been cleared out – machinery and tools cleaned and sharpened, lined up in readiness. A sense of order is imposed.

A few large limbs have snapped off in strong gusts of wind – giving enough wood for a good bonfire to mark the end of the year.

These are wet, dull, colourless days, with sleety rain. The ground is soggy, the sky is drab – but there is the seasonal shift and promise now of bulbs pushing through the dark earth bringing their bright lights of bloom.