Dank, dark mornings, thick mists, chuntering blackbirds and the first stews of the year.
We may have fooled ourselves to thinking that summer would go on for ever, but as the last ghoulies of Hallowe’en hang up their tatty masks and synthetic cobwebs for another year, it’s time to accept the reality of autumn.
With the mild weather you may have thought that you’d given the lawn its final haircut, but it does need to be kept lightly trimmed and, depending on the weather, you may be cutting grass right through to Christmas.
Personally speaking, my lawn had a trim on Boxing Day last year and looked far better for it for the rest of winter. And it was a great way of working of the excesses of the previous day.
And if you’re looking for a new mower, this powerful, German-engineered machine could well fit the bill.
The Einhell GC-PM 46 S-M Self-Propelled 4-Wheeled Petrol Lawnmower, still on special offer, is a rugged mower with a 139cc engine sitting atop a cutter deck powder coated to resist corrosion and to give it a longer life.
The width of cut is 46cm, so it is well suited to a medium-sized lawn and it has been designed to cope equally well with rougher grassed areas.
There are nine cutting heights from 30m to 90mm and the grass box holds 50 litres.
It is supplied with a mulching kit should you wish to deal with the clippings this way, but this should only be fitted when the grass is dry, or you will be left with ugly lumps of clippings on the lawn.
This sturdy mower costs £249.95. We deliver it FREE the next working day and there is a two-year warranty from the manufacturer.
These pages have a wide selection of mowers.
And if you’re more worried about leaves at the moment, have a look here for a wide choice of leaf sweepers and other clearing equipment suitable for small gardens right up to large estates and parks.