Even though it’s winter don’t overlook your strawberry beds or those other hardy plants that will cope admirably with the colder weather.

– Sow winter lettuces in a vacant greenhouse border.

– Dry off begonia and gloxinia tubers to rest them for the winter.

– Hoe regularly between vegetable rows to keep down weeds.

– Take cuttings of conifers, evergreen trees and shrubs and root them in a propagator.

– Sow sweet peas outdoors in a sheltered spot.

– Prepare the ground for fruit trees and bushes to be planted this autumn and order your chosen varieties now.

– Complete the planting of new strawberry beds.

– Remove dead leaves from brassicas and other crops.

– Protect the developing curds of cauliflowers by bending a few leaves over them.

– Raise the height of cut on the mower to around 2.5cm (1in) and reduce the frequency of mowing.

– Plant lily bulbs in borders or large pots.

Best of the Bunch – Hebe (Veronica)

These evergreen shrubs come in all sizes, but among the best are the ones which bring a burst of autumn colour, such as H.

‘Autumn Glory’, which grows to around 80cm (2ft) and bears spikes of deep purple flowers against a backdrop of shiny, oval leaves and looks great as a specimen shrub or hedge in a seaside garden. H. ‘Midsummer Beauty’ is another winner, producing lavender flowers from July to November.

Be warned though, the most attractive are often also the least hardy, so plant the slightly more susceptible varieties extra deeply, with at least four to five buds below soil level to revive the plant should frost injure the topgrowth.

Hebes prefer sun or light shade and should do well in any garden soil with reasonable drainage.

Even though it’s winter don’t overlook your strawberry beds or those other hardy plants that will cope admirably with the colder weather.

– Sow winter lettuces in a vacant greenhouse border.

– Dry off begonia and gloxinia tubers to rest them for the winter.

– Hoe regularly between vegetable rows to keep down weeds.

– Take cuttings of conifers, evergreen trees and shrubs and root them in a propagator.

– Sow sweet peas outdoors in a sheltered spot.

– Prepare the ground for fruit trees and bushes to be planted this autumn and order your chosen varieties now.

– Complete the planting of new strawberry beds.

– Remove dead leaves from brassicas and other crops.

– Protect the developing curds of cauliflowers by bending a few leaves over them.

– Raise the height of cut on the mower to around 2.5cm (1in) and reduce the frequency of mowing.

– Plant lily bulbs in borders or large pots.

Best of the Bunch – Hebe (Veronica)

These evergreen shrubs come in all sizes, but among the best are the ones which bring a burst of autumn colour, such as H.

‘Autumn Glory’, which grows to around 80cm (2ft) and bears spikes of deep purple flowers against a backdrop of shiny, oval leaves and looks great as a specimen shrub or hedge in a seaside garden. H. ‘Midsummer Beauty’ is another winner, producing lavender flowers from July to November.

Be warned though, the most attractive are often also the least hardy, so plant the slightly more susceptible varieties extra deeply, with at least four to five buds below soil level to revive the plant should frost injure the topgrowth.

Hebes prefer sun or light shade and should do well in any garden soil with reasonable drainage.