Tidying-up before autumn

Take time out to get everything straight, says Ruth

- Ruth Hayes

I'M starting to batten down the hatches around the garden, emptying old growbags, tidying the patio, sharpening tools and getting straight for the onset of autumn.

I grew four bags of potatoes on the patio. Now I've harvested my spuds I'll reuse the compost as a soil improver on the borders. I removed all the remaining plant material and layered it thickly on the soil. There won't be a lot of nutritional value left in it, but it will improve the soil's structure and condition as it is broken down by winter weather and taken down into the soil by worms.