As autumn gives way inevitably to winter, people often state that there can’t be much to do in our garden over the winter! But large gardens are a little bit like an iceberg, the casual observer only sees just a little of what really goes on.

There is always lots to do: we will be doing repairs, maintenance, planning, purchasing, training, rose pruning, tree work . . . the list goes on.

This year we did notice that it hasn’t been a great year for Walnuts and Hazelnuts. Two years ago, the team said it was the best Hazelnut harvest at Titsey Place in many many years. And just to add insult to injury the squirrels ‘ broke in ‘ to the Peach House and stole literally all the this year’s Walnuts. I haven’t worked up the courage to tell my Walnut loving Italian wife yet !

Just now we are about to plant out the Tulips and hopefully the squirrels will keep their thieving little paws off them ! Last year we lost most of what was planted out in the Walled Garden, but the Tulips planted in the wider garden do tend to fair better.

And let’s not forget that this is the time of year for planting garlics, which is one of my horticultural passions. This year we are trying a new hardneck variety called ‘Precosum’ as well as tried & tested varieties like ‘Primor’, ‘Thermidrome’ and lastly my personal favourite ‘Germidour’.

Now all gardeners have a beef about something or other and one of mine is the sizes of garlic seed heads available in the UK.  One of the rules of thumb with garlic is, ‘if you want those big garlics for the kitchen and let’s face it who doesn’t, only plant the biggest seeds you have.’ Don’t plant tiddlers. I have to say, in the UK often the stock available at garden centres and the like, isn’t that great.

Just look at the difference between these 2 heads of the same variety ‘Germidour’ – one I bought in the UK and one I purchased later near our family home in Italy. The photograph says it all really! I have just recently come across a source for good seed garlics in the UK, which is Tamar Organics in Cornwall.

And lastly we all sometimes have happy accidents in the garden and I thought to share this one with you. One of our Brugmansias got left behind in one of the greenhouses this summer and didn’t flower, but now been flowering it’s socks off when all the others have been brought back in from the cold looking a bit sad. What a lovely sight to cheer the heart in the autumn.

Enjoy the blessings of the season and your garden . . . till next we meet. Rory and The Team