I am generally restless about the performance of my garden and every couple of years I have another go at something or another, having decided that ‘it’ is not right, or ‘it’ is in the wrong place, or ‘it’ was a waste of space/time/money.

But, over the past few weeks, I have been giving myself a pat on the back for two reasons. Firstly, because I chose to splurge on a Cercis ‘Forest Pansy’ some years ago and, secondly, because I planted it in the right place.

It has grown into a fabulous large shrub which I keep trimmed down the sides but allow to grow upwards.

The low autumn afternoon sun has been shining through its usually maroon leaves, which turned a magnificent orange and gold. I found myself stopping to admire it and also to consider the effect of light on our plantings.

The aspect of a garden is very important – where does the sun land and for how long? Which areas are permanently in shade? How can you make the best use of your space to enjoy the more subtle elements of light and shade?

Some leaves positively sing when the light catches them but they do not have to be plants that enjoy full sunshine. Think about the fronds on many ferns. If you can place them in an area where the sun shines through them but not on them, you will appreciate their intricacies.

I once saw the most wonderful planting of Matteuccia struthiopteris – the Ostrich Fern – with the low sun lighting them up from behind – simple but breathtaking.

Coloured stems need the same sort of consideration. Dogwoods (Cornus) are noted for their stems – reds, oranges, yellows and blacks – but they need to have the sun on them to really sing out.

If you stick them somewhere dark and dank they will not be able to give the colourful show that most people grow them for.

The same applies to the bark of some trees, notably those in the birch and Acer families. White-stemmed birches and peeling-barked Acers look their stunning best in winter; at other times of the year when in leaf, they often go largely unnoticed.

One of the flowering cherries, Prunus serrula, is a stunner – a peeling, maroon, shiny bark that is impossible not to touch.

If you grow Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian Sage), then you will know that it requires full sun. It also has the most wonderful silver stems so keep your secateurs away from it until late spring so you can enjoy the stunning sheen that it will have when the winter sun hits it.

Now I must wield my small garden fork and get out the pesky Viola labradorica that is invading the place. It’s becoming a real pest here.

I didn’t put it in – a previous owner is responsible for that – but by jingo, I’ll get the bloomin’ thing out!