To cut back or not to cut back is the big question, at this time of year.

I am all in favour of cutting back, tidying the garden but leaving any interesting grasses and seedheads to be ravaged by the winter weather.

I have Poole Council come and empty our green bin, a service I am very grateful for, as my garden produces too much green waste to compost myself but as they stop mid November, it's a race to get everything cut back that needs to and oh how I wish I had two bins just at the moment as it's full to the brim now and we only have one more collection to go!

I have now cut back my Dahlias but not before taking a few photographs to get me through the winter months.

I don't dig the tubers up but give them a blanket of mulch and cross my fingers that they will survive the winter. The Dahlias in pots do come into the greenhouse and with a little water every now and then, have always returned the following year.

My Chrysanthemums are looking fabulous, I have no idea how I thought they would have been ready for my wedding last September but I really appreciate their beauty now that the garden is drawing to a close.

My Butternut Squashes have all been harvested and spent a couple of weeks in the greenhouse for their skins to harden. They are now sitting in my garage and although not huge, are going to be a welcome addition to any meal, roasted in the oven.

The vegetable bed has been dug over, which is a lovely sight and the only things left in there are the two rows of sprouts which are listing to the right. Despite firming them in, they are quite top heavy and so my sandy soil just can't hold them upright.

They are still quite small but having never grown them before, I am really quite excited to taste them and the plan is to have some with our Christmas dinner.

Well this weekend it's going to be more cutting back and digging over and planting Garlic and I have brought some winter flowering violas to put in pots outside the patio door to cheer me up through the winter, which isn't my favourite season but I am going to do everything I can make it more enjoyable.