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Of the bee family, similar to the honey bee. Distinguished by the orange hairs on its underside and the powerful jaws with which it shears off pieces of leaf. May cause damage to the leaves of roses, laburnums, lilacs, etc, during the egg

Sow green manure crops to fill bare soilRemove pond weedsHoe and hand weed bordersFeed plants such as roses, shrubs and hedgesPrepare soil ready for sowing a lawn or laying turf during September and OctoberSend off for mail-order bulb catalogues

Take rose cuttingsIf you have a passion for roses, why not try taking cuttings of your favourites? It's easy to do, and although it'll be two or three years before they bloom, the flowers will be worth the wait - and just think of the savings

Taking rose cuttingsTaking verbena cuttingsTaking dahlia cuttingsView varieties of campanulaBrowse our collection of rose varieties

cuttingsCarol Klein's video guide to taking basal cuttingsSarah Raven gives instruction on taking dahlia cuttingsTaking summer cuttingsTaking cuttings from rosesBrowse a variety of rose plantsBrowse a variety of dahlia plants

, taking time to pick out roots of perennial weedsSpread a layer compost around shrubs and along the base of hedgesPlant new roses and shrubsThin out the top growth on standard roses to prevent damage from the weather and wind rockBe ready to knock snow

roses to prevent hellebore leaf spot spreadingPick off developing seed heads on daffodils and spring bulbsSprinkle fertiliser over flower beds and around shrubs and roses

Plant bare-root roses in well-prepared groundTrim away unwanted suckers growing around the base of treesClear borders and rake up leaves before bulbs start poking through the groundDig over gaps in borders, taking time to pick out roots of perennial

shrubs and pot them up in gritty compostRub greenfly off rose buds, or apply a soap-based sprayLightly trim broom and genista after flowering to keep plants in shapeWater newly planted trees and shrubs if conditions turn hot and dryTidy up rock gardens

Take cuttings of your favourite roses Tidy borders by cutting down perennials past their bestPrune out old stems of rambling roses that carried flowersPlant new conifer hedges and evergreen shrubsClear away faded bedding plants from borders