As one lovely reader pointed out, my onomatopoeia-ic description of the ‘crackle of autumn’ has been more of a ‘squelch of autumn’ so far. Never fear, there is always time for a bit of crackle .. and dry weather! And always lots to do in the garden, whatever the weather.

I have started cutting spent herbaceous plants back, but instead of cutting them back to the ground as I used to in the desire for a ‘neat winter garden’. I now have far more compassion and empathy for the wildlife. I now just cut the spent flower-heads off and leave the rest of the foliage and plant to die back over winter, providing accommodation for lots of insects and other wildlife throughout the colder months. It is often only the spent flower-heads that make a plant look ‘messy’ anyway. I have cut all the ox-eyed daisies back to half their height, for example, and they look neat enough, satisfying even my more-OCD tendencies.

There are a few things that are better not cut back until the spring anyway – crocosmia being one of them. It will test your OCD, or garden-neatness nerve, but if you cut them back too early them you won’t have a good display of flowers (or any flowers at all) next year. The goodness and energy needs to go back into the bulbs or corms for next years displays. Lilies and peonies are the same, as are most bulbs, corms and rhizomes – it’s the same principle as leaving daffodils to die back naturally after flowering in the spring.

So you now have permission not to go too bonkers in the beds and borders or to have too neat a garden for the winter. We used to call it ‘putting the garden to bed’ but now it’s more like letting it have a nap in the chair. Something I am becoming more familiar with myself.

Something else I am very familiar with and love at this time of year is the annual Blessing of Pets at St Michaels Church in Llanvihangel Crucorney on the 6thof October (next Sunday). Sian Lloyd tells me that the new Vicar has recently acquired a very lively puppy, which will no doubt be providing lots of entertainment as well as receiving individual blessings, fusses and treats, along with all the other pets that attend.

You can take any pet along – from reptiles to rats and anything in between - and Sebastian, the retired Ambassador to the former Society For The Welfare of Horses and Ponies, will come out of retirement again for his annual Church Blessing – at the grand old age of 25. A very good advert for an annual blessing, I think!

Yogi took me along for the blessing for several years but sadly she is now a bit too ‘fragile’ to enjoy the afternoon. She does highly recommend it – though I think maybe she recalls the treats and all the friendly fuss she had rather than the blessing.

The service starts at 3pm, refreshments will be served and there is an easy access path to the Church, which is located adjacent The Skirrid Inn off the A465 Hereford Road. NP7 8DH For further information please call or text Sian on 07889 581181

And finally – for all those pet and animal lovers amongst us – do have a look at this websitewww.comedywildlifephoto.com- it is just the best tonic for these squelchy autumn days.