As we approach the autumn and winter, we have been planning and strategizing for months, putting in place processes to deliver some very exciting projects for the spring/summer 2020. As a Head Gardener, like my predecessor, I’m constantly looking for unusual species and forms to continue to make the tree collection at West Dean something special and unique.

If you are planning to keep on top of your gardening jobs, don't miss the top tips for September from West Dean Gardens' Head Gardener Tom Brown.

After recent winds it's great to see peace and quiet return to the Gardens. Don't you love the autumn light which creates such long shadows at this time of year?

Summer is officially over, and yet nature in her autumn glory has a beauty all of her own.

Apples specifically help improve the functioning of the bacteria living inside of our large intestine, and early studies show that apples change the metabolism within the digestive tract and change the balance of bacteria. Read more about the health benefits of apples in our blog.

At this time of year there is a flurry of list-making as jobs to be done in the gardens are arranged and rearranged according to the weather and priority. It's all about housekeeping in November, a case of which glasshouse to empty then clean and in which order.

This is a glorious stroll that takes you from the richly planted ornamental grounds through the simplicity of the landscape park, the arboreal splendors of the arboretum and thence into the upper landscape park with panoramic views of the beautiful South Downs.

There is a wistful softness about golden October, a period that can produce some of our most congenial weather in which to enjoy the less urgent jobs of autumn such as lawn raking!

The dry September with less than 10 mm of rain recorded has been the driest at West Dean in the past 34 years. We could do with some rain, a generous 15 mm right now would suit nicely. Read more in our October blog.