Making the cut

Not sure what, when and how to prune and tidy up this autumn and winter? Then follow Monty's simple guidelines to take the stress out of cutting back

- PHOTOS JASON INGRAM

It's sometimes said that a good plant dies gracefully, and that a plant that looks good in death is a valuable addition to the garden through the colder months. There's truth in this and when autumn begins to slide into winter I like to leave as much growth as possible, so things don't look too bare. It's different every year - last year was particularly wet, and by Christmas things were battered, but in previous years we've left a great deal standing, even into February.

There is a balance to be struck between keeping the garden neat, and leaving slightly untidy plants to overwinter.

This approach comes back to the basic philosophy at Longmeadow, which we apply quite strictly: keep your edges sharp, but everything in between can be soft.

This can mean a garden entrance defined by a hedge, with soft borders beyond, or piles of leaves and twigs left for winter habitat within a sharp framework.

I always smarten up hedges and topiary, ensuring they're crisp and clearly cut into shape. Trees with bare stems, or multistemmed shrubs, are cleaned back so we can appreciate the structure of their stems.

But otherwise, don't worry too much.

It's okay if you've got fallen foliage on the ground because it will support wildlife, and we often have hedgehogs overwintering in this kind of habitat.