November is a great time for finding metallic ingredients and hunting through the garden for materials with a bit of a sheen to the flowers or leaves. Seed pods are a satisfying textural element - we tend to harvest them around now before it gets too wet

Clematis vitalba is a wild clematis that grows like mad throughout the hedgerows and countryside surrounding our cutting garden in Hampshire. It is so vigorous that in some countries it is considered an invasive species.

This is the time of year when we enjoy the autumn flowering bulbs and corms planted in the spring - nerines, flag lilies, anemones and gladioli.

Rosa canina (dog rose / briar rose / wild rose) is native to Europe and grows wild through many a hedgerow. It is the county flower of Hampshire, where our cutting garden is located.

At this time of year the leaves on all the deciduous plants in the garden are displaying the most incredible colours. It's a beautiful sight for us to enjoy but of course there is a scientific reason.