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of spare time.Wash out flower pots and seed trays Trim back climbers that are close to gutters and windowsTest the pH of your soil with a kitAround the gardenCut back overgrown honeysuckle Pick berried winter shrubs, flowers and evergreen leavesPlant bare

wallflowers, interspersing with taller-growing tulipsPile a thick mulch of compost or bark around hardy fuchsias to protect them from frostMove shrubs, including conifers and evergreens, that have outgrown their positionPot up tender perennials from summer

Sow sweet peas into deep potsTransplant evergreen shrubs and conifers to new sitesFlowersSow peas in lengths of guttering under coverPlant out onion sets in rowsCarefully dig away grass or plants growing close to fruit treesFruit & vegPlant canna lilies

the gardenPlant tulip bulbs in groups to make drifts of spring colourAfter first frosts, lift and store dahlia tubers Plant evergreen shrubs and conifersFlowersPick ripe apples and pearsFinish harvesting marrows, squashes, onions and potatoesSow broad beans

climbersPick seedheads and evergreen foliage Move tubs of shrubs or winter bedding to a sheltered spotFlowersMake a composting trench to enrich soilMake compost from spent cropsDig over vacant areasFruit & vegKeep potted herbs on the staging to crop over

prefer a plant or two that few others have.One that caught my eye when it was first introduced by Hillier's 14 years ago is Sophora 'Sun King'. A chance seedling turned up in Hillier Arboretum, growing into this new garden-worthy shrub, and what a stunner

is so unexpected and so swift that you're only able to take six plants from your existing garden.So which six plants will you choose? Will you go for something big - a favourite cherry or a noble oak? Maybe an evergreen to liven up your winter? A rose

mainly flies), but in the past I've seen wasps and tortoiseshell butterflies eagerly making the most of this final feed of nectar before hibernating.Fatsia japonica is an exotic looking evergreen shrub with large glossy, lobed leaves. Despite its tropical

and perfect. The frost, however, tends to accentuate every line; the branches of trees and shrubs are sprinkled with shards of ice that glint like tiny blades; things you never noticed before suddenly stand out.Wandering through the garden as the sun rises

the year. It can reach a height of 10m.Prunus serrula, Tibetan cherryFeatured in Toby Buckland's gold medal-winning Ethical garden at BBC Gardeners' World Live 2008, Eriobotrya japonica is a small tree with large, evergreen leaves. Grown in a sheltered