FLOWER GARDEN

• Finish bulb planting. Tulips don't mind going in late
• Plant bare-rooted trees and shrubs Heel in bare-rooted stock if you can't plant immediately, or if it's frosty
• Protect trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants from hungry rabbits and deer with spiral or wire mesh guards
• Clear away dead leaves from hostas, which shelter slugs, and top-dress with grit
• Divide hostas
• Remove the pump from the pond and clean it for the winter
• Cut off old leaves of Helleborus hybridus (lenten lily) so you'll see its flowers and discourage leafspot
• Sow seeds from favourite trees in pots, and keep outdoors until spring

CONTAINER GARDENING

• Stand pots on terracotta feet or bricks to prevent waterlogging of roots
• In cold areas, wrap terracotta pots with bubble polythene or several layers of fleece
• Tie up the leaves of cordylines to prevent wind whip, and water collecting in the crowns
• Buy winter-flowering heather to cheer the place up as the days shorten
• Plant your last bulbs - tulips Split overcrowded lilies
• Place slightly tender plants such as camellias in a sheltered spot, or bring them into a cold greenhouse

KITCHEN GARDEN

• Plant bare-root fruit trees and bushes
• Prune redcurrants
• Plant garlic

GREENHOUSE

• To save on heating bills, line the greenhouse with bubble polythene
• Pick off yellowing and dead leaves
• Root evergreen cuttings more quickly in a heated propagator
• Plant amaryllis (hippeastrum) bulbs for the house at monthly intervals for a succession of flowers in spring

Bare-root roses
Plant them after working some organic matter into the ground. Dig a wide, deep hole so the roots can start off nicely spread out. Use the bamboo to get the budding point, where the root and shoots meet, exactly at soil level. Firm in carefully and prune back. Bare root roses get off to the best start.

NOW'S THE TIME

LIFT DAHLIAS
Lift dahlias when frost-blackened. Cut back, dry off and store in bark, sand or vermiculite in a cool, frost-free place.

CHECK CHRISTMAS HYACINTHS
In the dark since September; give light and warmth when shoots are 5cm.

DAFFODILS FOR CHRISTMAS
Narcissus 'Paperwhite' and 'Soleil d'Or' will flower four weeks after planting.

FORCE CHICORY
Lift Witloof chicory roots and plant in pots or boxes. Keep them in a warm, dark place to force the chicons.

PROPAGATE HARDWOOD PLANTS
Hardwood cuttings of roses, willows, dogwoods, forsythia and currants, 30cm long and the thickness of a pencil, root readily in the open. Plant deeply in a trench and  transplant in 12 months' time.