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Sow sunflowers outside, directly where you want them to bloomTrim winter-flowering heathers, removing faded flowers and tidying up their shapePick off faded flower heads from hyacinths, to prevent them wasting energy setting seedPlant groups

clumps of rhubarbTake hardwood cuttings from healthy fruit bushesPrune apple and pear trees to control their size and shapeCut down Jerusalem artichokes

Shaping topiary is a fun and inexpensive way to create year-round interest in the garden. These plant sculptures contrast dramatically with flowers in summer, and bring structure, style and form to winter gardens.If you haven't tried topiary before

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

you want them to form autumn hipsTrim lavender immediately after flowering to maintain its shape, but avoid cutting back too far into old woodHoe weeds regularly to prevent seedlings establishingTrim conifer hedges, evergreen hedges and topiary

lots of organic matterPrune lavender to maintain its shape, and take lavender cuttings by pulling off sideshoots and inserting them in trays of gritty compostCollect seed from border perennials and store in a sealed container in a cool place

the soi, and adding compostOrder onion sets and seed potatoesPlant new fruit trees, bushes and cane fruitsStart to plan next year's crop rotationPrune large fruit trees to control their shape and size, and to increase productivityCut out about a quarter

Salad potatoes come in many shapes, sizes and colours. They're well worth growing, as they're such a versatile crop - delicious served hot with a knob of butter, or combined with any number of ingredients in a potato salad. All salad potatoes share

- the long stems emerging from the main plant. Do this now and you can look forward to more plants and a bumper harvest next summer.Strawberry plantSharp knife or secateursPotsMulti-purpose compostGarden wire or u-shaped staplesSeptember - early October45

When we think of irises our minds tend to wander towards May and great swathes of big, brassy flowers over sharp-sided, sword-shaped leaves. Either that or drifts of yellow flag iris on the sides of pools and streams. We tend to ignore February. Big