As the light fades and we get into the dull days of November and early December it often feels as though it never really gets light. Wet leaves pile up and the herbaceous stems rot and sink to the ground. This is the time to appreciate the small jewels of the garden, like epimediums and cyclamen leaves.

It is also time to take a burst of energy out into the damp and tidy up anything which could be a hazard in the twilight. sharp stems at waist level which could take an eye out, overhanging branches which catch in the hair, and overgrowth which grabs the ankles. Brushing wet leaves off the path can prevent a slip on the way in from work. Things which are quirky and quaint in the cool of a summer evening become a threat for the unwary in the darkening gloom of the short days.