TO DO LIST

■ Prepare for construction jobs you will be doing over the winter such as putting up an arch or laying paving, above. Buy or order supplies including concrete and builder’s sand.

■ Don’t put the mower away for winter. All the time the grass is growing, you will need to mow it, left. Carry out essential servicing following the instructions in the manual. Petrol mowers are best sent to a servicing centre.

■ Start preparing soil for a new bed, border or kitchen garden area. Strip off turf and dig the ground over, removing stones and roots. Work in wellrotted organic matter, then leave the soil rough through the winter, turning it several times so birds can eat pests and grubs that would attack plants later.