The fireworks have gone, the smoke has cleared. Wet footsteps slap on the pavement as people don their coats and drizzle descends. Umbrellas pop up like mushrooms with their brilliant glossy caps bobbing from street to street. Wind howls at doors and buffets the windows trying to pry its way into our homes.

And yet, among the mist, the rain and the wind, there sometimes emerges a moment of stillness. Through the empty branches of trees, emerge crisp blue skies and wisps of cloud. Dew shimmers across every surface until faint warmth turns it into a cool mist. Everything is quiet. Shadows become long, cast into the distance by their makers as the sun basks the world in a honeyed light. These moments stand out from the dark, the wet and the bleak like blazing lighthouses guiding us through the darkest months.

Perhaps there’s a day to be had in the garden after all…

Many garden centres will now be selling bare-rooted trees because the ground is in perfect condition for roots to take hold. Under our feet, small white tendrils are feeling their way through the soil, looking for new pockets of moisture. They won’t need it now but, come summer, these newly formed roots will be the lifeline of any tree when the dry summer comes around.

Take a look here for suggestions on what trees to plant and how you can give them the best start.

Once you’ve done that, make a diagonal cut at the top of the cutting to remove any soft green parts of the shoot. Aim to make the cutting a length of around 20cm so trim it to size if it is too long.

Now you will need to fill a medium size pot with a coarse sand or coir fibre. You can use a special compost for cuttings; however, please only do so if it is peat-free. Once you’ve prepared your container, simply place the base of the cutting into the potting mix, water it and let nature do the rest!

You should leave your cuttings for at least a year in order to let the roots develop. Keep the soil damp throughout the year and take more cuttings than you need as not all will survive. If all goes to plan, you should have some new saplings to plant this time next year!

As a top tip, keep your leaf pile separate from your compost heap. This is because compost heaps rely on bacteria to break down the organic material placed on it. Leaf mould, on the other hand, is formed through fungi decomposing the leaves which is an entirely different natural process. Why not get both working for you in your garden?