How do you keep the children entertained during half term? During autumn it's so easy to find things to do with the kids. Here's five suggestions that will bring fun into every weekday of the school holidays. Worried about Covid-19? These activities are all virus-proof!

The autumn garden can be the best time of the year. Just because the summer is over, it doesn’t mean that your outside space need look forlorn or devoid of colour. There are plenty of beautiful flowers that give you a boost in September, October, November and beyond. Not to mention the amazing show that is happening amongst trees and the everlasting colours to be found in foliage.

If your outdoor space is looking desperately dull, it might benefit from a few, carefully placed containers near your entrance, along the circulation routes and close to your windows. Colour is uplifting and some plants shine during the autumn. Here's a selection of some of the best...

So what’s our obsession with Halloween? To state the obvious, it features witches, pumpkins, fangs, lanterns, sweets, pranks and great excitement amongst small people. Basically, it’s a good excuse for a jolly. Dress up on a dark evening, have fun with a bunch of mates and overdose on sugary treats. Hopefully, all supervised by a responsible adult or two. Get into the spooky spirit with some scary plants...

So here we are, already dipping into the mellow days of early autumn when the light levels are often perfect for photography in the garden. Rather than mourn the loss of summer, there’s work to be done outdoors. Here are five tips to help you get the garden in order so that it will look good for the rest of the autumn, through into winter.

Gardening as an industry is in constant motion. Contrary to popular belief, enthusiasm rarely slows. Instead, we adaptable humans simply plan according to the times. As we enter autumn, there are as many gardening trends as there are in May. So what’s new for the near future?

Ornamental grasses, why are they the swaying stars of the autumn border

Every season brings its own garden wonders and, apart from the awe-inspiring colour of leaves, ornamental grasses are the stars of early autumn. Grass seed heads and flower heads look beautiful for months. They are more durable than most flowers and certainly delight the senses for a longer period of time than the beautiful show of autumn foliage. But did you realise that there are several different categories of ornamental grasses? Each grows into a form that is distinctly different from others. Some are more suitable for gardens than others, especially small spaces.

In autumn, many things in the garden can be tidied away, cut back and neatened. Or can they - does thismean it's all over for the year? Do we need to see bare soil and pruned back stems?

A few decades ago, this was the aspiration but now it's just not the thing to do. Garden minibeasts and birds love to scratch around and feast upon the stems and seeds that autumn brings. There's so much happening outdoors in October and beyond. It would be a shame to miss it. There is sometimes even an Indian summer which can be one of the best times of year.  We Brits are often prepared to let the glory of autumn slip away without even a glance.

We know the phrase and we always hope that the autumn season will bring one. But what on earth is an Indian summer and why do people crave to get one? Firstly, there's all that beautiful light that results from autumn sunshine. It creatures wonderful colours as well as warmth. ‍But where did the expression originate?

Anyone with a kitchen garden or allotment should be enjoying a harvest glut in September. Apples are ripe for plucking, courgettes are still coming, onions are ready for drying, tomatoes are ripening on the vine and potatoes are inviting you to dig for their delicious treasure. There are still runner beans hiding amongst the climbing green foliage, autumn-fruiting raspberries and tayberries are luscious, blackberries taste beautiful and beetroot is bursting from the soil. But how do you cope with a glut of wonderful produce?

November brings its own share of challenges to the garden-lover. You might have to arouse your passion in order to overcome dreary surroundings. Drizzle, mist, frost and dark hours at both ends of the day contrive to banish garden activity to memory – apart from weekends and non-working days of course. Here's seven ideas to brighten up your life at a tricky time of year - late autumn.