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constructed, the box should last for years and provide a cosy home for generations of birds.Add old crops and bedding to the compost heapSpike lawns then brush grit into the holesCollect seeds from beans and sweet peas to sow next yearAround the gardenCut late

Improve your soilPlants need good soil conditions if they are to give the best results. Improving the soil with plenty of organic matter in the form of compost helps drainage and aeration on heavy soils and conserves essential moisture on light ones

-rooted hedging, roses, trees and shrubsFlowersPrune gooseberry bushes Fork over vacant beds, mixing in compost Plant fruit trees trained as cordons, fans or espaliersFruit & vegClear leaves from greenhouse gutters Check heaters daily to ensure they are working

the exact plants we show here, as there'll be plenty of similar things at your local nursery or garden centre. If you get cracking now you'll have a stunning display in just a few weeks.Gradually lower the cutting height of your mower Spray roses showing

useful for extending the growing season of tender bedding plants and vegetables.Plant colourful Phormium 'Cream Delight' in a patio potTake care not to walk over borders or on lawnsOrder young plants from mail-order companiesAround the gardenSow sweet

Sow quick salads in guttering Keep a regular supply of salad leaves by sowing seeds in lengths of plastic guttering, cut to the length of your veg beds, and filled with good compost. When the seeds germinate, you can grow them on for 2-4 weeks

throughout the festive season.Work off Christmas excesses by digging over bare areasPlace cloches over tender plantsSharpen blades on garden toolsAround the gardenMake last-minute pickings of fresh flowers for the houseSpread compost on to flower beds

beds weekly Around the gardenTie in shoots of clematis and climbers to supportsPlant out chrysanthemums for autumn flowersPrune overgrown Clematis montana after floweringFlowersHang pheromone traps in fruit trees to control pestsThin out congested fruit

Fruit & vegPlant strawberry runners in hanging basketsOrder seedlings and bedding plants from suppliersSow dwarf French beans in a large pot Greenhouse15 minutesLearn how to give your mower a regular service