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With the fruit swelling on your strawberries it's time to protect them and cover the soil around the plants with a mulch. This will prevent the crop getting splashed with mud when it rains. And don't forget to net the plants against birds and keep

A bat box works on the same principle as a bird box, except that bats prefer a wedge-shaped roost and enter through a gap underneath rather than a hole at the front. Using cheap, untreated wood, this box will give bats the perfect place to shelter

Even a small pond will make a big difference to your garden, attracting a wide range of creatures. Let wildlife find your pond naturally and it will soon become a thriving habitat for anything from mayflies to hedgehogs.Give your pond the best

Top up bird baths with fresh water daily and melt ice with warm water on frosty daysRecycle your Christmas tree by using the local council tip's shredding serviceCheck the closing dates for any early order discounts from seed catalogues so you don

Sow seeds of dwarf beans in rows and climbing ones alongside canesPlant out crops being raised in pots under glass, such as marrows, courgettes and tomatoesCover soft fruits with netting to prevent birds eating themSow a few seeds of salad leaves

Hang old CDs among crops and from fruit trees to scare away birdsWater beans and sweet peas as they start to flowerGive extra water to ripening soft fruits such as raspberries, gooseberries, strawberries and currantsFeed tomatoes and crops

and other berries from birdsCut out fruited canes of raspberriesPile up the earth around trench varieties of celery for whiter stemsPick 'Discovery' and other early ripening applesPrune blackcurrants after fruiting, removing about a quarter of the oldest

Raise the cutting height of your lawn mower and continue composting clippingsWash out and top up bird baths regularlyStretch netting over ponds and water features to prevent autumn leaves blowing inWater houseplants less frequently and move them off

Pick ripe apples and store the best in fruit cratesDig up strawberry runners and pot them upNet autumn raspberries and blackberries to protect them from birdsLift and dry maincrop potatoes and store in paper sacks in a cool, dark placePot up a few

Collect leaves as they fall and store in a wire bin or plastic bag to make leaf-mould Leave out sunflower seed heads for the birds to feed onCollect sprinklers, drip-feed systems and other watering kit to store in the shed over winterSprinkle grass