December

1. Add more Winter colour such as, cyclamen, violas, pansies, and wallflowers to brighten up your garden.

2. Watch out for pale blotches and fuzzy grey mould on leaves of Winter-flowering pansies that can be symptoms of downy mildew. Remove infected leaves as soon as discolouration appears.

3. Use fleece for frost protection wrapping around less hardy plants and insulate greenhouses with bubble wrap.

4. Continue planting trees, shrubs and hedges (see our selection in store, including many evergreen).

5. During Winter pruning do not forget to remove mummified fruit that remained on branches, and continue checking supports and ties of cane fruit, grape vines and fruit trees trained against walls.

6. Clear debris to prevent slugs and snails from setting up home in damp conditions! However it is important to leave some cover for other wildlife.

7. Prune any dormant perennial plants to help improve their growth next season.

8. Help prevent Christmas plants such as azaleas, Christmas cacti, and indoor cyclamen going over by keeping them cool at 13-15C (55-59F). In particular, forced bulbs such as daffodils, amaryllis and hyacinths require lower temperatures. We have lots of Christmas plants, bulbs and gift plants in store now.

9. Grab a pond heater if you have a pond to prevent ice forming, leaving an air hole free for toxic fumes to escape.

10. Take care not to let leaves accumulate, especially around alpines - they will die if left damp for long. Cover bare patches around clumps with gritty compost to encourage regrowth.