THE summer bedding in borders and containers must now go. The sooner winter and spring plants get settled in, the better they will be. Some plants like Paris Daisies, Verbenas and Heliehrysum can be overwintered in an airy, bright, frost-free place, but truthfully better plants for next summer will be from cuttings. The bother of nursing such things through the winter is sometimes pointless when new plants can be easily obtained next year. Each gardener will make his or her choice depending on circumstances.
For spring, a combination of bulbs, wallflowers, polyanthus or winter-flowering pansies will be widely available. The choice and arrangement will be up to the individual imagination. Before replanting, at least some of the potting mixture should be changed as summer watering will have leached out almost every scrap of goodness. Some gardeners will buy a ready-mixed potting compost while others will mix their own, using best garden soil. The usual mix is one part sharp gritty sand, three parts wet peat and seven parts best soil.