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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

Improve soil ready for sowing a lawn from seed during showery autumn weatherHoe and hand weed bordersOrder sweet pea seeds for autumn sowing in potsPinch out the tips of wallflowers to promote bushier growthBuy spring-flowering bulbs like tulips, crocuses

Plant new fruit trees and bushesTidy strawberry beds, cutting back old foliage and congested runners and removing weedsPot up a few roots of mint and bring under cover for winter pickingsImprove soil, digging over bare ground and forking in bulky, well

, including black, white and red currantsTidy strawberry beds, removing unwanted runners, old leaves and developing weeds

Winter prune apple treesPrune away stems of autumn-fruiting raspberries at soil levelPrepare sites to plant new fruit trees and bushes, by improving soil with lots of organic matterHoe bare areas to remove weed seedlingsUse straw to prevent soil

Net crops to protect them from pigeonsEarmark your best sprouts for the Christmas table and give them last-minute protection if windyTake hardwood cuttings from fruit bushesGet ready for planting asparagus in spring, removing weeds and digging over

the ones I have weeded or given away or sold at the village fete - which incidentally is next Saturday in Whittlebury, Northamptonshire. Hooray all round. (Unless you happen to live in parts of the USA or New Zealand where it is a pestilential weed

trays, compost or propagators. Just clear the soil, forking it over to remove debris, weeds or larger stones and get sowing. I use sand from the kids' sandpit to mark out separate areas for each type of seed, and sow in rough rows to make subsequent

've not grown it before.The onions also went in, but not where I'd planned. The bed I planned to plant them in had been freshly weeded and forked over, but onions need a really firm bed. Last autumn I cleared, weeded and forked another bed, which was crying

in Hampshire. Everything was looking somewhat overgrown, after my 10 days away. It was amazing how many weeds had emerged. Three of us have just spent hours weeding, mowing and sorting, and my hands are still buzzing from the nettle stings, despite the chunky