Tidy Up Time

I am not a natural gardener, I suspect I might be adopted because I'm definitely the odd one out in my family. Today though even I could see that something needed doing before this gorgeous summer gives way to damp autumnal days. So I've cut the hedges and mown the grass and had a bit of a tidy up. I can't bring myself to cut the plants back yet, they still have a few flowers and have given me the nearest I think I'm ever going to get to the gorgeous cottage garden border I had in mind when I planted them. So the garden is looking better (still messy but better) and the leaves on the silver birch are turning to yellow telling me its nearly time for the kids to go back to school and college and things to get back to normal.