October is the month when my garden prepares to go to bed for the winter. A bit like me really... The darker and shorter the days become, the earlier in the evening I cozy up under the duvet in order to wake up the next day hours before the sun rises.

This month there are still garden chores to do. We collect fallen apples and leave them in heaps for the deer to enjoy. If left around the apple trees the fallen fruit covers the lawn beneath, making it soggy and difficult to manage in spring. I also love watching the deer through the window of the old cottage, and they don't seem to mind their admirers at all.

With so many trees around the house, there is a lot of leaf collecting to be done! There is a very big compost by the garage, and we happily mix leaves with cow-muck and all the vegetation from the kitchen garden as it is emptied after the growing season.

In the beginning of October a few brave flowers still put up a show at the gatekeepers cottage. I too brave the rain and spend a day weeding it so that we get a fresh start in spring. All the weeds left in will invariably multiply exponentially so this is necessary work.

My godfathers sent me a box of bulbs and although I did my best to get them planted in September, a few lots are still above ground and need planting. Amongst them is Allium globe master, a gorgeous and reliable addition to the garden.

Another day when it is sunny, I take a walk and pick the last of the Chanterelles before the autumn frost make them all mushy. The lingonberries (Vaccinium vitis-idaea) are plentiful this year, and I wistfully think about making lingonberry jam but never get around to it.

I decide to simply enjoy the sunshine, knowing that it will be in short supply during the coming months, and pretend that I am practising mindfulness instead. I must admit I am getting quite good at the art of just enjoying the moment...