I have seen those bulb-planting baskets that are available – the idea is you plant bulbs into the basket, put the whole lot in the ground, cover in soil, leave to flower and then lift the whole lot out once they’re over.

My only gripe with these baskets is they are very shallow, which makes them fine for smaller stuff like crocus and scillas, but useless for tall narcissus and tulips.

The solution to this is to use the mesh baskets designed for pond planting. They come in various sizes and will give you the depth you need to stop taller stuff from keeling over in the slightest breeze. Mark the places where you plunge just in case you forget.

It is still warm enough to apply nematodes to the soil if you have been plagued with slugs and snails. You will need to buy these through the post and use them almost immediately.

Catalogues in all shapes and sizes are thudding through the door again and as I idly leaf through them I am brought up short by some of the strange and impossible plant partnerships suggested. Please beware!

Pictures shown are misleading, in many cases, as the plants do NOT flower at the same time. Read the small print. Bulb sizes are usually given and, especially in the case of tulips, they will be smaller than you might like. Top-quality tulip bulbs should be at least 4cm in diameter. Remember pot sizes as well – a plant supplied in a 3” (9cm) pot is coming to you in the equivalent of a teacup.

The leaves are starting to change, most noticeably with the Parthenocissus (Boston ivy or Virginia creeper depending on the species.) Make a date to take a few trips out to enjoy the spectacle to come. Westonbirt and Batsford Arboretum are worth a trip for spectacular tree colours, as is Sheffield Park if you find yourself over in East Sussex.

I have seen something that I’d like to visit. It’s a new garden created by Piet Oudolf at the Hauser and Wirth Gallery in Bruton, Somerset.

Piet is a world-class garden designer who specialises in meadow/prairie planting on an enormous scale and it’s safe to say these are at their best at this time of the year.

Entry appears to be free, which is always a bonus.

The other two places worthy of a visit in September are Knoll Gardens near Wimborne and Derry Watkins’s in Cold Ashton, near Chippenham.

Lastly, many of our customers at Woodborough have come to live in the area and have moved into a smaller house with a smaller garden. This is a testing time. While big gardens involve a lot of physical graft, you can afford to slap things in in a far more nonchalant fashion.

Small gardens need planning; there is no room for gung-ho approaches to planting and it can be a difficult adjustment. Help is at hand. The wonderful Helen Yemm is coming along on Thursday at 7.30pm to talk about the positive side of downsizing.

Call us to reserve a ticket on (01672) 851249 for £12.