Alexandra Oakley 
November has arrived in that slightly confusing way it sometimes does, with plenty still flowering and temperatures that do not feel especially November-like at all.
The annual tulip conundrum is back as well. I am perfectly happy planting most bulbs now, but tulips always make me hesitate if the weather is still mild. It never quite feels right, even though I know I will eventually give in.
I have also been dealing with the less glamorous side of seasonal change: emptying pots, changing planting and admitting that some jobs are every bit as messy as I remember.
Add a little Christmas creep from the garden centre and a grudging softening towards cyclamen, and that feels like a fairly accurate start to November.
