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Plant tulip bulbs in groups to make drifts of spring colourAfter first frosts, lift and store dahlia tubers or leave in the ground but mulch heavilyPlant evergreen shrubs and conifers, including new hedgesLift tender cannas to avoid frost damage

weedsSpread a layer of compost over borders, around shrubs and along the base of hedgesProtect gunnera from hard frost by covering with straw or similar insulationThin out the top growth on standard roses to prevent damage and wind rockTake hardwood

Plant out tender summer-bedding plants, such as begonias, once all risk of frost has passedLook out for aphids on lupins, and spray with a soap-based insecticide if infectedPush canes into pots of tall-growing lilies and tie their stems

the remainsTransplant shrubs that have outgrown their positionLift and store dahlia tubers once their leaves are blackened by frostPrune rambling roses after floweringRake autumn leaves from lawns and pick them out of borders for compostingPile bark mulch over

Buy tulips now while they're fresh in garden centres, but hold off planting till next month Plant daffodils, hyacinths and crocus in potsLift and pot up tender perennials to protect over winterClear away faded summer bedding and annuals, composting

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