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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

to early summer for best results. Remove winter grime from patios with a pressure washerSow new lawnsSnip plain green shoots off variegated shrubsAround the gardenPlant out perennials in groups of three, five or seven Sprinkle fertiliser around clumps

tops of main shoots on outdoor tomato plantsPrune trained forms of fruit treesFruit & vegTake cuttings from tender perennials and bedding plantsSow a few pots of hardy annualsShade delicate plants to avoid sun scorch on hot daysGreenhouse10 minutes a

Take verbena cuttingsNow's the perfect time to take cuttings from your borderline-hardy perennials, such as verbena, to replace any that may get cut down by frost in the winter.Lay new turf and re-sow bare patches of lawnPot up colchicums

Protect tender plants for winterThe trend for growing exotic looking plants in our gardens means that some of them may need protection from the worst of the winter cold and wet. Wrap half hardy bananas, palms and tree ferns with fleece, straw

.NettlesSage, Salvia officinalis, is best known for the distinctive flavour of its leaves. But if left to flower, its tiny blue blooms provide nectar and pollen for bees and butterflies.SageThymus vulgaris is a sun-loving hardy perennial, used for adding flavour

degrees of frosty weather in between. I like to think a deep carpet of snow, although clearly at zero degrees or less, is actually insulating plants below from even colder air temperatures above. Hopefully no harm will come to the perennials and bulbs

I've always had a soft spot for chrysanthemums, and it's during autumn that they really reward you with the flower you've been anticipating all year. I can't think of another hardy perennial for pots or borders that looks so bright and colourful

While many perennials in my garden borders have packed up shop for the year and are dying down, it's so uplifting to see others, such as Japanese anemones, ending the year with all guns blazing.I've always had a soft spot for Japanese anemones. Our

. The dasylirion hates being waterlogged, especially in winter, so don't overwater it, and raise the pot on pot feet so it doesn't sit in a puddle.AdamDasylirion thrives in full sun and well-drained soil. Given a sheltered spot, it will be hardy over winter