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Plant out container-grown roses and shrubsFork compost into flower beds to prepare soil for summer beddingTie in new growth on climbing plants, such as clematis, wisteria and honeysuckle, to supportsPick off faded flowers from camellias, azaleas

Rachel de Thame explains the secrets of the soil conditions in which alpine plants thrive, with recipes for the perfect growing medium.spring or autumnMore on growing alpinesMaking an alpine path and gravel bedPlanting up alpines video project

I'm gradually filling up the beds on the allotment. Last week I planted main crop potatoes – a variety called Picasso, which doesn't seem too prone to slugs, and one called Cara, which is cited in catalogues as 'the allotment favourite'. I

Carol Klein and Joe Swift demonstrate how to create a raised bed at Berryfields, using local stone and alpine planting, with tips on compost mixes and plant suggestions.springMore advice on growing alpinesVideo advice on planting alpines in a pot

perennials and bedding plantsCollect seed from any flowers you fancy propagatingTrap earwigs among dahlias with upside-down pots stuffed with straw and balanced on canesPick leaves off plants affected by rose blackspotTrim conifer hedges and evergreen hedges

Take cuttings of your favourite roses Tidy borders by cutting down perennials past their bestPrune out old stems of rambling roses that carried flowersPlant new conifer hedges and evergreen shrubsClear away faded bedding plants from borders

the shorter line.Slot the planks together to form the bed. This is easier to do with two pairs of hands, as you need to keep the boards level so that they drop into place. Fill the bed with soil and organic matter, ready for early-spring planting.AdamYou can

Buy plug plants and young bedding plants to grow on for baskets, pots and bedding displaysThin out heavy fruit sets on peaches and nectarines, leaving fruits about 10cm apartSow annual climbers, such as cup-and-saucer vine (Cobaea), nasturtium

Plant out tender summer-bedding plants, such as begonias, once all risk of frost has passedLook out for aphids on lupins, and spray with a soap-based insecticide if infectedPush canes into pots of tall-growing lilies and tie their stems

Plant out spring bedding, including pansies, wallflowers and forget-me-notsPot up tender perennials from summer displays to bring under cover for winter protectionPrune rambling and climbing rosesRake autumn leaves from lawns and pick out from