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Top up bird baths with fresh water daily and melt ice with warm water on frosty daysRecycle your Christmas tree by using the local council tip's shredding serviceCheck the closing dates for any early order discounts from seed catalogues so you don

Trim hedges to keep them neat, then shred and compost the clippingsTop up compost or bark mulches around heathersHoe and hand weed bordersWater hanging baskets and patio containers regularlyPlace orders for bulbs to plant this autumnDeadhead flowers

The gentle babble of flowing water from this urn water feature helps to create a calm and soothing mood in the garden. A water feature like this is really simple to assemble and is also a safe choice if you have young children

an existing greenhouse and know the name of the manufacturer, contact them first to see if they can supply a kit before heading for the DIY store.More on saving and using waterSaving water in your gardenAdvice on watering plantsInstalling an automatic watering

As temperatures rise and summer sets in, give your container plants a little time and care. Water, feed and deadhead them regularly over the next few weeks and you can keep plants flowering and looking good right into autumn.Container plantsWatering

Ensure your orchids last for years with Sarah Raven's video advice on caring for cymbidium and phalaenopsis varieties as houseplants.all year roundCaring for house plantsGrowing hippeastrum.How to grow orchids.Installing an automatic watering system

, all of which make ideal pot plants for the home, greenhouse or conservatory.Victorian gardeners believed achimene must be watered with tepid rather than cold water, hence their common name of hot water plant. I'm not convinced this is actually

manure or mushroom compost to improve your soilCheck garden birds have water to drink, especially on frosty days when it might be frozen

frosts.My garden in East London hasn't seen rain since before Christmas. We've had snow, of course, and the promise of rain - dark clouds, even a thunder storm, but no water (we did have a two minute shower last Friday but it by the time I recognised

Fix nesting boxes for birds to suitable trees around your gardenService petrol lawn mowers and power toolsKeep indoor azaleas well-watered with rainwaterMake fat cakes and hang them among roses to encourage bluetits to feed off overwintering pests