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.Clean and sharpen knives and secateursPut up nesting boxes for birds on suitable treesMove shrubs growing in the wrong placeAround the gardenCut down willows and dogwoods to their baseFinish taking hardwood cuttingsPlant bare-root roses, hedging, trees and shrubs

Save seedsPerennial plants are often very generous in the amount of seed which they produce. Plants such as verbascum can produce thousands of seeds each year, and you can sow them to grow more plants for your garden or share them with friends

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

Grow cactiTry something new by growing some fun, spiky cacti from seed. Their weird and wonderful shapes look great indoors or out (if our summers stay dry) and, as they don't need much attention, they're just the ticket if you don't have a lot

, the young shoots need clipping two or three times during the growing season. Dig out lawn weeds, such as daisies and dandelions Watch out for greenfly and blackfly on developing plantsCollect hellebore seeds from ripe podsAround the gardenPlant out

Sow quick salads in guttering Keep a regular supply of salad leaves by sowing seeds in lengths of plastic guttering, cut to the length of your veg beds, and filled with good compost. When the seeds germinate, you can grow them on for 2-4 weeks

the exact plants we show here, as there'll be plenty of similar things at your local nursery or garden centre. If you get cracking now you'll have a stunning display in just a few weeks.Gradually lower the cutting height of your mower Spray roses showing

.Plan your seed-sowing year Trim lawn edges to keep the area neat and tidy Apply residual path weedkillers Around the gardenPlant lilies in large patio pots for summer displaysPrune shrub roses to low new shootsCut overgrown honeysuckle stems close

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

to their supports as they growFeed plants with fertiliser solution once a weekApply shading paint or put up shade netting or blindsGreenhouse45 minutesFind out how to create a fragrant garden