IT was one of those dreary, damp and cold Friday afternoons.

The type of day when the weather prevents you from getting on with any of the gardening jobs that need doing. We (myself and trainees) had been out in the rain all morning and were suffering from the penetrating numbness that chilled rain can bring on. The radiators were covered in muddy gloves, upside down boots and one or two pairs of socks. It wasn't pleasant. We had worked hard during the week, and, in order to minimise the damage to the tea and coffee supplies in the bait cabin, I had decided to let my trainees have an early start to the weekend.

I was contemplating all the minor chores that I could do to delay having to get stuck into the Friday paperwork when there was a knock on my office door. The woman introduced herself as Sue, and she was looking for suitable material for a floral display. She had been invited to create an arrangement for the Royal Horticultural Society in London. The theme was one celebrating autumn and winter riches. She needed them today as the show was on Monday, and had come prepared with secateurs and black bin bags.

How could I refuse the challenge? I pulled on my jacket, hunted out my secateurs and strode out into the gardens.

You really wouldn't think that there was enough material of sufficient interest in the garden at this time of year. We started off at the White Garden. There are two huge New Zealand flax plants at the back of the plot. They are about seven years old and have reached a height and width of ten foot. They are mature enough to produce the tall (15ft) elegant flower spikes that dry to a rich deep black. The flowers start out cream with a tint of burgundy and have a tropical vanilla fragrance. These give way to shiny black, three inch long seed pods that rattle in the wind. We cut down a handful of the flower spikes along with a good selection of the long, shiny, strap-like leaves.

Further into the garden we found the dried remains of teasel and Jerusalem sage plants. As well as providing form, colour, scent, texture, and bird and insect interest, theses two flowering plants leave behind over wintering ghost-like skeletons to remind us of their summer existence.

The large euphorbia retains its shape and colour throughout the winter, so we cut down some of the mop-headed stems. We let them bleed before we added them to the bin bag, so that the milky sap didn't ruin any of the other cuttings. Although not highly toxic, the white juice can irritate skin, so it is always advisable to wear gloves when dealing with it.

The big glossy, hand-shaped leaves of the hardy fatsia were harvested next, along with several canes of the white and red-stemmed bramble. We picked a selection of ivy leaves, from the large lime green, smooth edged variety to the small intricately veined pointedly spiky ones.

The common Elephants' Ears, the plant that provides a year-round hiding place for slugs and snails, has a stain of deep red around the edges of its large leathery-lobed leaves at this time of year. This complimented the fresh fiery growth from the young eucalyptus stems. Then of course come the Dogwoods in their shades of scarlet, claret, burnt orange and lime green. Let's not forget the mahonia with its sharply serrated glossy green leaves. They are just about to burst forth into frothy masses of yellow flowers.

Although late in the year, and despite the teeming rain, we managed to find and collect a good selection of colours, shapes and textures. I helped Sue load them into the back of her car and wished her well for the show.

My dreary Friday afternoon had turned into an exciting forage for interesting plants that could fulfil an important challenge. What a good note to end the week on.

You can contact Brigid by emailing her at brigidpress67.freeserve.co.uk or writing to her care of Nature's World, Ladgate Lane, Acklam, Middlesbrough.

Published: 16/11/2002