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Raise new mint plantsIf you're already dreaming about sipping a cool mint julep in your summer garden, now's the time to get your mint plants ready for the job. Take cuttings from established mint plants to keep the drinks tray supplied all summer

Build a compost binStart adding homemade compost to your soil and you'll not only enjoy watching your garden thrive and flourish but you'll also have the satisfaction of seeing your kitchen waste get recycled too. In just five easy steps, we'll show

them neat, then shred and compost the clippingsTop up compost or bark mulches around heathersHoe and hand weed bordersAround the gardenSummer prune wisteriaWater hydrangea bushes Take clematis cuttings or layer new shootsFlowersShorten sideshoots

Grow early strawberries Enjoy delicious home-grown strawberries at least four weeks before you pick them from the garden, by bringing some plants into a cool greenhouse or conservatory. Planted in a large container or hanging basket, just three

and ceramic pots that aren't frost-proof Order farmyard manure or mushroom compost Around the gardenPlant heathers and trailing ivy in pots for winter colourCut down faded stems on rudbeckia and Shasta daisiesFinish planting tulips as soon as possible

.Wash and disinfect bird feeders and tables Collect fallen leaves and add to a leaf bin to compost down Spread fresh gravel or grit around alpine plants Around the gardenTake root cuttings of oriental poppies Check stakes and ties are secure on trees and climbers

which are available in a wide range of colours. And they couldn't be easier to grow.Cover soil with polythene sheets to keep it dryKeep your Christmas tree outside in a bucket of waterWash cloches and cold framesAround the gardenClear away annual

condition - and you'll also save yourself some pennies when it comes to the annual service.Mow lawns and trim new edgesDig compost into borders to improve water retention Add copper rings to pots to protect plants from slugs and snailsAround the garden

lawn and help keep it looking its best.Replenish gravel and grit mulches around alpine plantsPut slug barrier products around the tender new shootsDig plenty of compost into heavy clay soilsAround the gardenSprinkle granular fertiliser round roses

and moisture, and you'll soon enjoy statuesque plants heavy with cobs.Give wooden furniture a faceliftCut back climbing plants that are hanging down Empty, mix and refill compost bins Around the gardenPlant out tender summer-bedding plantsLook out for aphids