Then, when they are truly dry and brittle, we use them as kindling for the sitting room fire.

In line with one of the golden rules of good gardening, do not leave bits of stem sticking up to stab yourself or others, or to pass on unwanted diseases to the new growth.

Taking out the old canes not only improves the look of things, but also creates more space and lets in more air, light and rain to the developing new canes.

Using a soft twine, you then tie in the healthiest looking new canes to their supports, which is most often a simple but sturdy construction made of vertical wooden posts and lateral wires. This sort of arrangement makes a good division in a garden and looks fresh and elegant when in new leaf in spring. Alternatively, you could make supports of latticed bamboo or willow and lace the canes through those.

Any new canes that don't pass muster . . . because they're too thin, or damaged or obviously diseased . . . should also be taken out of the equation at this stage. They will only grow mouldy or malformed fruits that are inedible and infectious to those around them.

It's just a case of good garden hygiene, really.

Raspberries can run all over the garden, so if you don't want this to happen, you must either cut the escapees off at ground level, or dig them out. If they come out with a good root attached (raspberry roots are perpendicular to the stems, ie, at right angles), then you could pot them up for passing on to somebody who wants to start a new plantation.

The raspberry is a cool-climate fruit and grows wonderfully well in damp climates like ours and that of Scotland.

They like a position in sun or light shade, in rich, moist but free-draining soil containing plenty of organic matter. They should be planted about three inches deep and 15 inches apart, with their horizontal roots facing along the rows.

The only molly-coddling they need is a thick annual mulch of well-rotted organic stuff, such as straw, compost or even grass clippings. A little potash around their roots a couple of times a year encourages them to flower and hence set fruit. Watering is not usually necessary, though if the weather is horribly dry when they're berrying I do give them at least one good drenching.

Because they are shallowrooting, they can be easily damaged, so when planting, make sure to remove perennial weeds, such as deep-rooted dandelions and docks, beforehand.

If you love raspberries and want to prolong the pleasures they bring, you could plant a few rows of an autumn-fruiting variety, such as 'Heritage', which is reliably good.

Ash you like it Our own beautiful native mountain ash or rowan, often planted here as a street tree, is in full berry all over Ireland now, so you might not want to plant it in the garden as well if space is limited. There are other lovely kinds of rowan that deserve serious consideration, and they all have flowers, berries and great autumn colour.

Among the loveliest for smaller gardens are Sorbus cashmiriana, with pink flowers in spring and white berries through winter. S 'Joseph Rock' has clusters of yellow fruits turning to almost amber. My current favourite, because I've recently planted one, is S vilmorinii. It has rose-red fruits that turn a paler pink as they age and fern-like foliage that shades to a gorgeous red and purple in autumn.