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In last week's Observer Magazine, Dan Pearson wrote about collecting berries from hedgerows near him, so he could grow plants with local provenance. This is a subject I've been thinking about a lot recently, so I read on with interest.Put simply, a

, producing lovely straight, soft beans in copious quantities. (I know I said back in the spring that I wasn’t growing them this year but I collected my own seeds last year and I just had to try them out.) Collecting the beans at the end of the season was so

Around the gardenLift dahlia tubers or protect those left in the ground Sow sweet peas now Collect seeds and berries from shrubs and flowering plantsFlowersLift and store carrots Pot up herbs to bring under cover for winter useSow green manure crops over bare areas

. Then water to settle soil around remaining roots.Allow flower stems to form. The small, pretty blooms attract aphid-eating hoverflies and other beneficial insects.Pods should be picked while small and tender. You can collect seeds for next year’s crops once

Free and easyFavouring a more laid-back approach to gardening, I love plants that self-seed with abandon. Here are a few of my favourites...Find out how to collect allium seedsSelf-seeders are the opportunists of the plant world. They may

, and is able to colonise new areas by producing seed.Spreading perennial plant that produces mats of foliage. Easily recognised by pretty, small, white-petalled flowers with a round yellow centre.Dig or grub out daisies from lawns using an old kitchen knife

Collect and sow seed from foxglovesTake cuttings from pinks (Dianthus)Prune philadelphus after flowering, removing stems carrying old flowers. Cut out very weak stems and some of the oldest woodFeed dahlias with a liquid fertiliser and ensure plants

heapBuy tulip bulbs as soon as you find them but hold back from planting until late October-NovemberDig up gladioli corms after flowering to store until next springCollect seeds, lay them out to dry, then store them in labelled envelopesPrune rambling

an explosion of flowers the next year.Compost your kitchen and garden wasteTop up water levels in garden ponds if they are getting low Push canes in around tall plants like gladioli and lilies Around the gardenCollect and sow seed from foxglovesTake cuttings

planted on their own in a rustic terracotta pot. It's a quick and easy job with stunning rewards in spring.Collect, wash and store away canes and plant supportsImprove drainage on compacted lawnsCut hedges to keep them neat, and control their size