It ’s time to...

Plant ornamental aloe in warm areas and red-hot poker in cool areas for winter colour

Listen to local weather reports, and if heavy frost is predicted, throw some temporary cover over your vulnerable plants in the evening

Protect emerging leaves of bulbs from snails and poorly placed footsteps

Take cuttings from your favourite roses and pot up into a sandy mix

Reduce the amount of food that you give to fish in ponds, as they eat much less during winter

Dig manure into empty garden beds so they are well prepared for spring planting (opposite page)

Put a layer of pebbles into pot saucers so the base of the pot sits above the stored water, allowing roots to dry out between waterings

Dig out, divide and replant Japanese windflowers now that the flowering season is over

Give daphne (above) a boost before flowering with a once-a-year dose of Epsom salts (dissolve 1 teaspoon in 1L of water, and pour around roots)

Thin out crowded branches on deciduous trees to allow more light into shaded parts of the garden