Herbaceous borders have a long and graceful decline in autumn, and their fall colours are by no means to be despised. Equally, there is merit in the frosted beauty of tall seedheads such as Eryngium, but, in time, most will dampen down into a slowly collapsing mess of brown tissue. At that point, step in and apply the secateurs. Cut each plant neatly down to the ground just above the crown and remove the debris. Most of this can be composted, ideally by chopping it into short pieces, as it can be woody. It can be used for mulching next year.
* Give Country Life for Christmas and save up to 40%
-
Caveat renovator: The TV star, the writer and the salvation of a crumbling farmhouseThe actor, writer and comedian Robert Webb and his comedy writer wife Abigail Burdess embarked on a renovation project in 2019 which became far more than they imagined — and just as the job is at last complete, they've decided that it's the right time to put house on the market.
-
'People always think that, working on The Telegraph, I'll be told that things aren't right wing enough. But in 37 years, I've never, ever been told that’: The Telegraph’s cartoonist Matt on his consuming passionsThe Daily Telegraph cartoonist Matt — AKA Matthew Pritchett — talks to Lotte Brundle about his career as a cartoonist, his love of Snoopy and how he ‘stole’ his wife from Laurence Llewellyn-Bowen.
