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At certain times of the year, as I look out over my back garden, I see a huge heron perched on the chimney stacks of the next street. It's an infrequent, but fairly regular visitor and I often wonder what is attracting it. Our garden pond, up

about — the stuff of legend, warm sunshine on my cheeks.There was still a slight chill in the wind though, and when I examined the pond there was a thin rind, perhaps half a millimetre thick, of ice. By 11, though, not only had this vanished

at RHS Garden Rosemoor, growing on the edge of a pond. It is well worth a trip to these lovely gardens in Devon to see it (and at this time of year there is the bonus of watching the apple harvest there.)I first saw Gunnera manicata when I was a small boy

Plant tagetes with your tomatoes, to act as companion flowers which deter pests Scoop out floating pond weed and algae from poolsHoe bare soil and hand weed beds weekly to prevent weeds from establishing and setting seedPut soft tops on the tips

Pick dead flower-heads off rhododendrons and azaleasHoe borders to keep down weeds, or treat with weedkillerScoop floating weed out of garden ponds with a netFeed lawns with a liquid or granular lawn fertiliserTrim hedges like privet and Lonicera

Compost your kitchen and garden wasteTop up the water level in garden ponds when it starts getting low in summer Push canes in around tall plants like gladioli and lilies and tie them to the stems for supportPlace eye protectors on the tops of all

Keep lawn edges trimmed by cutting with a half-moon edging toolLook out for cabbage white butterfly eggs and rub them off with your fingersRemove blanket weed from pondsFeed hanging baskets and patio pots every weekPrune fast-growing hedges like

over ponds or water features to stop autumn leaves falling inBuy spring bulbs for autumn plantingOrder bare rooted roses, shrubs, fruit trees and hedging to plant over the coming monthsBrush away fungi and mushrooms growing on lawnsBuild a leaf bin out

Bulk up the compost heap with spent flowerheads and stems from around the garden Improve drainage on compacted lawns by spiking the ground with a fork or aeratorCut everlasting flowers and ornamental grasses for dryingPut netting across ponds

Raise the cutting height of your lawn mower and continue composting clippingsWash out and top up bird baths regularlyStretch netting over ponds and water features to prevent autumn leaves blowing inWater houseplants less frequently and move them off