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.