GIVE BORDERS A HEALTH CHECK

Check your borders are tidy and healthy this month, so plants are ready to spring into life come springtime.

l Clear up fallen fruit. Remove fallen fruit from around trees to avoid the spread of disease. Place sound fruit on bird tables.

l Remove soggy leaves. Fallen leaves can cover and suffocate plants, potentially causing them to rot, spreading disease and obscuring light. Add them to the compost heap or leafmould bin.

l Cut back collapsed stems. Now’s the time to cut back perennial stems whose seedheads were left for winter structure. It’s also a good time to comb through grasses and pick up any spent flowerheads and debris.

l Keep on top of the little weeds. Pull out overwintering weeds to make spring weeding much more manageable, giving wanted plants more space and light.

l Boost plants with a mulch. Add a thick layer of garden compost, leafmould or well-rotted farmyard manure around all your plants to add nutrients and form a barrier against weeds.