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fruitsPick fresh herbs to freeze in ice cubes for winter use, or to hang and dry to store in jars

Prune out fruited canes on summer-cropping raspberriesPinch out tops of main shoots on outdoor tomato plantsPrune trained forms of fruit treesPick sweetcorn cobsContinue picking plums and freeze any surplus right awayLift and store onions

cataloguesMow lawns during dry weather with blades set highBring garden hoses and sprinklers under cover for winter to avoid damage in freezing weatherCollect canes and plant supports, and store them in the shedSow a green manure crop over bare areas

of rubbish before starting bonfires to ensure a hedgehog hasn't set up residenceMow lawns on dry days with the blades on a high settingWrap outside taps with insulation material to prevent them freezing Spread compost from old growing bags on to outdoor beds

freezing around parsnipsTake hardwood cuttings from currants and gooseberriesNet cabbages and other brassicas to protect them from pigeon damagePlace forcing jars over crowns of seakaleContinue winter digging, adding spent mushroom compost to improve

featuresRemove pond pumps and filters to wash and storeLook out for special offers on early orders from seed cataloguesWrap outside taps with insulation to prevent them freezingTreat fences and timber structures with stain or preservativeWelcome in the new

action to prevent it happening again. So I have:Winterkill can happen when ponds freeze over for a long period. Noxious gasses build up and literally suffocate any frogs which happen to be there. Frogs (usually males) often choose to spend the winter

with insulation material to prevent them freezing and turn off the water supply inside your housePlace a floating heater or a ball in ponds to stop ice completely covering the surfaceMove tender or valuable houseplants away from cold window sills every evening

with cloches or sheets of polythenePlace a ball in a pond to prevent it fully freezing overTake your petrol mower to a dealer for maintenanceAround the gardenPlant bare-root roses in well-prepared groundTrim away unwanted suckers from tree basesClear borders

, and during the last two months temperatures have dropped way below this 'minimum' temperature. For the last couple of weeks our night temperature here has dropped several degrees below freezing every night, and not been much above this during the day either