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If you think topiary is pricey, then make your own with one of these metal spiral plant supports. Given time, ivy will cover the frame, to give you a stylish evergreen display at a fraction of the cost of clipped topiary. If you shop carefully, you

are not too tight or cutting into bark, and loosen if necessaryCut back any overgrown ivy

-by. In most situations this will be lovely, but in order to plant the tulips, the Hackney guerrilla gardeners ripped out a fair amount of established, flowering ivy.Tulip lovers might argue that ivy is not very cheerful, pretty or colourful, but its value

and sunned it self on the glossy ivy leaves that cover our south-facing fence. This spring generation develops from caterpillars that fed on ivy, but probably not this clump, since they eat the developing flower buds and we don’t have any here yet. They

Follow Rachel de Thame's step-by-step video guide to making a Christmas wreath, using plant material gathered from around the garden, such as camellia leaves and berrying ivy.DecemberMore Christmas projectsMaking home-made Christmas decorations from

Cut back ornamental miscanthus grass before new shoots start developingTrim back ivy and Virginia creeper from around windows and gutteringClear away dead foliage from perennials, chop it up and add to the compost heapRemove weeds from borders

Take cuttings from shrubs including pyracantha, cotinus, hypericum, potentilla, honeysuckle, ivy, hydrangea, spiraea and rosemaryPrune out plain green shoots from variegated trees and shrubsCut lavender for drying when in full flowerCut back pansies

Plant heathers and trailing ivy in pots for winter colourCut down faded stems on rudbeckia and Shasta daisies, to just above soil levelFinish planting tulips as soon as possibleClear golden hop, sweet peas and annual climbers from supports

bulbsDeadhead pansies regularlyPlant lily-of-the-valleyTie string or wire around conifers and yew to prevent heavy snow damaging branchesFill empty containers with winter heathers and trailing ivyFirm soil around roses loosened by stormsReplace wobbly

Wash out flower pots and seed traysTrim back ivy, Virginia creeper and other climbers on walls that are close to gutters and window framesTest the pH of your soil with a kit and add lime if it's too acidicScoop leaves and debris from ponds and water