– Whilst the soil is still slightly warm, divide or lift any herbaceous perennials or deciduous shrubs that may be overcrowded.

– For a splash of colour to brighten up a dreary day, plant cyclamen, winter heather, hellebore, winter pansy and primrose in pots to flower over winter.

– Now is the time to plant hedges, evergreen shrubs and conifers or move them while there is still warmth in the soil.

– Plant spring flowering bulbs now – these include alliums, begonias, crocus, daffodils, dahlias, freesias, gladioli, iris reticulata, lilies, muscari, snowdrops and tulips.

– Use frost fleece to protect half hardy plants from frosts.

– Take hardwood cuttings from deciduous and herby shrubs and ornamental trees and shrubs.

– Trim shrub roses now to prevent wind rock damage. Prune rambling and climbing roses once flowering has ended and loosely tie in the stems to supports using soft ties. Ensure any fallen leaves are cleaned up too to prevent diseases like black spot.

– Sow hardy broad beans and peas outdoors now for a crop at the start of next year.

– To increase harvesting, use cloches to cover salad plants.

– Wrap glue bands around the trunks of apple, pear, cherry and plum trees to help monitor and protect trees from moths, ants, earwigs and other crawling insects.

– Apply a winter tree wash to the trunks and branches of all fruit trees and bushes as well as dormant vines under glass to prevent infestation when the growing season begins.

– Cut back the fruited stems of blackberries and autumn raspberries now so that only the green canes are left for next year then tie in the new canes to a trellis to help protect them over winter.

– Give your greenhouse a really good clean and disinfect it now. This will not only get rid of debris that harbours diseases and pests, but will also let in more light to plants growing over winter.

– As night time temperatures start to drop, line your greenhouse glass with bubble insulation to help protect plants.

– Before bringing any plants into the greenhouse over winter, inspect them thoroughly for signs of diseases or pests.

– Get your greenhouse tube heater set up now in preparation for early frosts.

– Apply an autumn/winter feed to your lawn to revive it after being used in summer.

– Clean out and disinfect bird feeders and bird boxes then refill feeders with a good quality bird food.

– Cover your pond with netting to prevent falling leaves from landing in it. If left, leaves can rot in the water and turn to an ammonia based sludge which will kill fish and any wildlife, as well as making your water stagnant and acidic.

– Consider starting a compost bin to make your own compost. You can put raw fruit and vegetable scraps, crushed eggshells, grass cuttings, old plant material, weeds, leafy debris (ensure it isn’t diseased) in your compost. Add brown materials such as hedge trimmings, shredded paper, ripped up cardboard, dead woody stems and straw to prevent it from turning sludgy then add a compost activator to improve the quality and readiness of your home produced compost. For a guide on how to build your own composter, click on this link: https://elixirgardensupplies.co.uk/how-to-build-a-composter/.