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with such jewels of summer.These unseasonal blooms were likely grown in far flung places such as Africa or South America and flown over to the UK. Those with fewer 'flower miles' will have been raised in giant heated greenhouses closer to home. Cut flowers are big

cuttings from dogwoodsPick off faded flowers from winter-flowering pansies to prevent them setting seed

Repot houseplants that have become pot boundDab male melon flowers on to female flowers to ensure pollinationThin out bunches of grapes with pointed scissorsTake cuttings using non-flowering shoots on fuchsias, pelargoniums and margueritesCheck plants for signs

Cut late-summer-flowering clematis right down to soil levelDivide congested clumps of perennials such as asters, campanulas, rudbeckias and chrysanthemums after floweringPlant bare-rooted rosesDig up and compost exhausted summer beddingPlant out

Winter prune wisteria Vigorous wisteria needs pruning twice a year if it is to flower well. Cut back all the long whippy growth that has been made during the summer and prune again in July to encourage the development of flowering spurs.Tidy up

off shrubs and conifersPlace rabbit guards around trees to protect barkFirm down plants lifted by frost or wind rockAround the gardenDeadhead winter-flowering pansies and bedding plantsDivide congested herbaceous perennialsPrune winter jasmine to cut

Take lavender cuttingsThe wafting scent of lavender is a true fragrance of summer, but these plants can be sadly short-lived. So, to keep lavender lingering, why not raise new plants from cuttings? It's a simple technique that will provide you

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 possibleFlowers

Give wooden furniture a facelift, sanding smooth then applying teak wood oilCut back climbing plants that are hanging down from arches and pergolas Empty, mix and refill compost bins to improve the composting processWater hydrangeas with a colourant

Pruning and cutting back is important if your plants are to give their best display or crop, and to prevent them outgrowing their space. Most woody ornamental plants are best pruned in the dormant season or, if they are spring flowering, as soon