- Now is the perfect time to prune most trees while they are dormant (with the exception of the Prunus family). Pruning through the winter months allows them to heal better and gives them a better chance from any disease entering. Also, pruning while dormant gives you a better view of what you are doing and makes things easier to handle. A branch in full leaf can be double the weight of when dormant. Always consult a professional for any work off the ground or you don’t feel confident doing.

- Make any repairs to sheds, greenhouses, fencing and bird tables. Any current damage will just be increased by the forthcoming bad weather.

- Give nature a helping hand by providing food and shelter for the wildlife in our gardens. Wildlife can really struggle through the colder months. It’s a way of saying thank you to the Song Thrush that keeps the slugs and snails at bay, or the bees that pollinate or even the lacewings that control our aphid problems.

- Give your tools some care. Every gardener needs tools in one form or another and little annual maintenance will ensure they continue to do what they should for many years to come. Sharpen any bladed tools such as secateurs and edging shears. Oil any moving parts and coat the blades to ensure they remain rust free.

Clean down any hand tools such as trowels, forks and spades. Give any metal parts a quick wipe with oil to prevent rust. If they have wooden handles, giving these a quick coat of boiled linseed oil will protect them from moisture and drying out.

Give Tools such as mowers, strimmers, and hedgecutters a good clean. Ensure the grass box is free from old grass, ensure the blades are sharp and have no damage. If you garden machinery are Petrol operated, drain any excess fuel from them over the winter months. Drain and replace the oil, check filters and cables and replace accordingly. If in any doubt, get them serviced by someone qualified.

- Give the greenhouse a good deep clean and disinfect. This also includes any pots, seed trays and growing systems that are not in use. Its far easier to do this now in the quieter months than later when you may have propagators full of plants in there.

- Continue to clear fallen leaves from the garden and bag them up and store over winter to make mulch. If you have a pond in your garden, pay particular attention this as leaves can quickly clog the pump/filter.

- As always, keep weeding. Lots of weeds will quite happily grow through the winter months if the weather is mild. Take a look at our Gardening Essentials for tools to ease the problem of weeding