In The Flower Garden

• Clear away annual climbers, like sweet peas and morning glory, and cup and saucer plants growing up trellises or obelisks
• Pick seed heads and evergreen foliage and mix with fruit such as clementines or limes to make a fresh Christmas wreath
• Move tubs of shrubs or winter bedding to a sheltered spot if conditions turn very cold
• Take root cuttings of oriental poppies and other perennials
• Look for early flowering snowdrops to pot up and bring into the house
• Prepare soil well before planting new roses
• Cover branches of holly berries with netting to keep birds away
• Prune overgrown laurel, yew and camellias back hard to rejuvenate them
• Wrap straw or bracken around the base of tender shrubs and climbers to protect them the from cold
• Check stakes and ties are secure on trees and climbers

In The Fruit and Vegetable Garden

• Make a composting trench to enrich soil where beans will grow next spring
• Make compost from spent crops
• Dig over vacant areas
• Lift and divide congested clumps of rhubarb
• Cut down asparagus fronds and the tops of Jerusalem artichokes
• Buy in rotted farmyard manure or other composted green waste
• Use cloches to protect winter peas, beans and salads
• Lift and pot up chicory roots to force chicons
• Plant new fruit trees, bushes and cane fruits
• Bring potted bay trees under cover if conditions turn very cold

In The Greenhouse

• Keep potted herbs on the staging to crop over winter
• Move potted bulbs into the greenhouse to develop before bringing into the house
• Clear out old crops and growing bags
• Water sparingly and aim to keep the atmosphere as dry as possible over winter to reduce the spread of disease
• Check dahlia tubers and bulbs in store for signs of rot
• Pick off fading or diseased leaves from pelargoniums and other plants
• Continue ventilating the greenhouse on warm days
• Cut down chrysanthemums after flowering
• Prune dormant vines

Generally

• Cover soil with polythene sheets to keep it dry so that winter digging can be completed
• Keep your Christmas tree outside in a bucket of water until you’re ready to bring it indoors to decorate
• Wash cloches and cold frames
• Order manure or mushroom compost to dig in over winter, or pile onto the soil for the worms to drag under
• Cut down marginal plants surrounding ponds
• Send off for mail-order seed and perennials catalogues
• Mow your lawn on a dry day with the blades set high
• Wrap outside taps with insulation material to prevent them freezing and turn off the water supply inside your house
• Place a floating heater or a ball in ponds to stop ice completely covering the surface
• Move tender or valuable houseplants away from cold window sills every evening
• For more ramblings on gardening go to this page…………

Don’t forget you can hear me on PhoenixFM online every Sunday 10 till 12 noon.