Buying stunning looking plants in summer that promptly die back to a slimy brown heap in winter can be enough to put you off gardening. Equally, terms such as ‘annual’ or perennial’ or ‘herbaceous’ or ‘loam’ can turn you off immediately unless you already know what they mean. Couple a lack of horticultural knowledge with media gardening experts who you can’t talk back to and the whole thing can be overwhelming. Being enthused about gardening is a good thing but if you are new to it then curbing your expectations might lead to reducing disappointment. Although gardening is a very practical activity there is also a lot of understanding needed to make it work. If your garden has failed you again this summer then now is the time to take control by planning ahead. You can use those long winter nights that are not so far off to read, research, plan and get excited about how you are going to sort out whatever it is that hasn’t worked before. Whether you need horticultural knowledge or hints and tips on garden design you can start organising for next year now. Local libraries have shelves of gardening information and you can always put a good book onto your Christmas present list.

Here is a good tip to get you started if you want to plant a border between a fence and the lawn. Always put in some evergreen plants, they provide year round structure and backbone. Plant flowering plants in groups, not singly, the bigger the border the bigger the groups. If the border is less than 2-3 feet deep put small plants (about 6-9 inches high) along the front and concentrate on tall flowering plants for the rest of the space. Always put plants in groups of odd numbers, it looks much easier on the eye than even numbers. Research your plants to make sure there will be something of interest during the time of year you will see it. For instance, there is little point in a winter flowering shrub under a window at the back of the house because you probably only look at it when sat in the garden on warm summer days. Finally, roughly work out how many plants you need by giving each one its own square foot of your very own Eden Project.