Ornamental grasses - this is an excellent time to collect seeds of these grasses. They have soared in popularity in recent years but so has the price of them – you could save yourself a lot of money and it’s easy to do:

1 .Choose a dry day to cut off mature seedheads with a short length of stem.

2. Make a note of the name of the grass on an envelope.

3. Gently pull the seedheads apart, clear away any chaff and seal the cleaned seeds in the envelope.

4. Keep the envelope in a cool, dry place until next spring when you should sow them thinly into modules of peat-free comp

According to Forestry England, we're in for a bobby-dazzler of an autumn. The warm, sunny summer means that trees have packed more sugar into their leaves, which will produce cleaner, brighter colours when temperatures start to drop.

But when those leaves fall, what are we to do with them all? On paths, they can be devilishly slippery, and on beds they'll quickly smother low-growing plants. Fortunately, there are many uses for fallen leaves, even in the tiniest garden. Even better news is that they're best left as close to where they fell as possible to benefit wildlife and improve soil health. So, this autumn, rather than spend hours chasing leaves across the lawn and bagging them up for the green waste collection, why not try your hand at making leaf mould, mowing yourself some mulch, or even making an autumn wreath?

Top  Tips for Taking Cuttings

1. Always use a sharp, clean knife, or snips
2. Select healthy shoots that have not yet bloomed.
3. Cut just below a leaf node - that's where the leaves join the stem.
4. Store cuttings in a plastic bag or beaker of water if you're not ready to prepare them immediately. 
5. Remove 50-70% of leaves to stop the cutting from losing moisture.
6. Dip the cut ends in rooting powder if you have it. Don't worry if you don't - most cuttings will root without it.
7. Gently push your cuttings into an open mixture of compost and sand or grit. Good drainage is vital to stop them rotting off.
8. Pop them around the edge and in the corners of a pot, as contact with the sides will encourage rooting.
9. Place your cuttings in a warm, sheltered, and bright location, but avoid direct sunlight.
10. Be patient and wait for signs of new growth before transplanting your new plants into individual pots. White roots poking from the bottom of the pot are another sure sign you've succeeded!