JOBS TO DO THIS WEEK
■ If you grow cabbage, make sure they are netted for winter to protect against birds tucking in.
■ Bring potted herbs such as mint, basil and parsley indoors to the kitchen windowsill.
■ Remove stakes from herbaceous borders that have died back.
■ You can propagate soft fruit bushes from hardwood cuttings so if you’d like to grow gooseberries next year, see if a neighbour, friend or maybe someone with an allotment will let you take a clipping. Cut a healthy shoot and insert it into pots of cutting compost.
■ Don’t forget some of your pond plants may be tender and need protection from the big freeze.
■ Protect borderline hardy plants such as Melianthus with a heavy layer of compost around their base to protect them from frost.
■ Give your garden tools a clean before tidying away – remove earth and apply oil to prevent rust. A bit of linseed oil on wooden handles can help prevent splitting.