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. Create lots of lanterns for a dramatic display and they'll really light up the scene.Sow green manure crops to fill bare soilRemove pond weedsHoe and hand weed bordersAround the gardenDead head pelargoniums and other summer bedding plantsPrune wisteria

, and use as a large open-air ‘seed tray’. Sow short rows of brassicas, kohl rabi and leeks, thin the seedlings out and transplant them to their final growing positions later.Make a seedbedEssential tools, like a hoe, hand fork and trowel, string line (for

by making successive sowings throughout spring and summer. As autumn approaches, cover crops with sheets of horticultural fleece to keep the cold at bay, and you could be cropping right through to first frosts.Rocket seedLine for sowingHoe or trowel

for the past month or so, is to chop them down with a pair of shears. It works as it stops them flowering and seeding everywhere, which would really upset Ron, but it does mean they regrow. I normally get started with a good hoe in August but we haven't really

-supressing membrane has been laid beneath the path. Use a hoe to quickly remove weeds, pushing it back and forth through the gravel to chop up stems and roots.Hoe gravel pathsIf weeds are particularly bad, you may consider resorting to a residual weedkiller. Always

-white roots of ground elder. Regular cutting of the foliage, just below ground level with a hoe will gradually weaken the plant, but this needs to be done every 7-10 days, as soon as regrowth appears. Alternatively, fork through the soil every 10 to 14 days

or hoe off young seedlings and remove from the soil surface. Avoid deep cultivation which brings up new seeds. Apply a mulch to the surface after weeding to prevent further germination. Use contact weedkiller to kill seedlings and young plants before

.It will regrow from sections of stems left behind after hoeing or weeding, so you need to be thorough when trying to get rid of it, picking out any piece of foliage. If possible, get under the roots with a spade to slice it out. If it's in the lawn, carefully

of other plants, particularly grass in lawns. The most effective organic approach is to weaken the plant by hoeing it wherever it appears in beds or borders, or to dig it out using a fork or trowel. If it establishes itself in the lawn you will have to lift

, short-lived plants, which can produce many generations in a single season by setting large amounts of seed. Pull out young plants individually by hand or hoe off young seedlings and remove them from the soil surface before they get a chance to set seed