TO DO LIST

To create a new lawn later this autumn, start digging over vacant ground, above, where you’ll want to sow or lay turf.

Buy some outdoor pot chrysanthemums for autumn colour. Place on the patio and around the front door. They’ll only last until the first proper frost, but will make a superb show until then.

Place orders for fruit trees and bushes from mail-order catalogues. These plants can only be delivered while dormant, so they’ll usually arrive between November and March.

Show off late plants, without any distracting clutter, by tidying up borders.