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Spread a layer of manure or compost around roses and shrubsPrepare areas for laying new lawns in spring, digging over, weeding and enriching the soilBe on the look out for slugs and snails, which will attack emerging shoots of perennials

Slug bustersSlugs may have voracious appetites but they're fussy eaters too - and therein lies an answer to a slimy problem. The good news is that there are a selection of plants that slugs, and snails, will steer clear of.Slugs will avoid any

Clean out bird boxesLevel out dips in lawns with loam-based compost and sow fresh grass seedClear away debris that could be sheltering slugs and snailsCheck bonfires before lighting, in case they are sheltering sleeping hedgehogsSend off for seed

with slugs and snailsProtect pot plants from slugsControlling snails in your gardenChoosing plants that slugs don't like

, snails tend to cunningly hide amongst them. Beware: the spines face inwards so to reach in for the snail is fine but if you pull your hand out again too fast you will undoubtedly end up bleeding. Here it is with a helenium called 'Moorheim Beauty

a froth of pretty white flowers.Top up the pot with compost, firming it around the plant roots with your fingers.AdamSlugs and snails love hostas so be sure to protect the plants or you'll be left with leaves that look like doilies.More inspiration

Viburnum beetle was named as the number one pest by the RHS in 2010, stealing the crown from slugs and snails. It's native to the UK, but is becoming more widespread. Most of the leaf damage is caused by the stripey, beige-coloured larvae, though

couple of days to set before being positioned in the garden. Spread a layer of manure or compost around shrubsPrepare areas for laying new lawns in springBe on the look out for slugs and snailsAround the gardenPrune summer-flowering clematisCut out dead

nigrescens, pictured above, looks stately and structural — a simple feature anyone could replicate.Growing hostas in pots is also great for anyone troubled by slugs and snails — and who isn't? In addition to H. nigrescens, I grow a host of other hostas

by slugs and snails, and I spent many hours watching blackbirds foraging among the debris.In spring I tackled the garden in one go, removing leaves spiked on emerging bulbs, clearing spent stems and staking perennials. Only the still-sleeping frogs