Don ’ t be too hasty to tidy up the garden : leaving browning plant stems standing over winter provides vital habitats for wildlife . But keep an eye out for the particularly attractive seedheads of poppies , alliums , nigella , agapanthus , teasels and the like . Cut these , keeping long stems intact , place them inside a paper bag and hang upside down somewhere airy indoors to dry . Any ripe seeds should fall into the bag and can be set aside for sowing . Once bone dry , arrange the seedheads in a vase or put them aside to be sprayed silver or gold come Christmas . Likewise , leave the leaves : most of us can only dream of owning ranks of chicken wire cages for collecting autumn leaves to make into leaf mould . In the real world , leaves that fall on flowerbeds can be left in situ ; they ’ ll break down quickly enough and be incorporated into the soil by worms . Leaves on lawns can be raked on to beds , or run over with a mower , which not only collects them effortlessly , it also kickstarts decomposition . Add the blitzed leaves to beds as a mulch , add them to compost heaps or place in plastic sacks punctured with a few holes and stuffed somewhere out of the way for a year or two until they turn into leaf mould . If your compost heap is overflowing , it ’ s time to harvest some “ black gold ”. I shovel the un-rotted top layer into a rubble sack until I reach compost that ’ s dark , crumbly and mostly free of worms ( a

sure sign compost is ready ). The finished product goes on to flower and veg beds as a mulch and top-dresses shrubs and herbs in pots . And the contents of the rubble sack ? This goes back in the composter in layers a few centimetres thick , consisting of grass cuttings , kitchen waste , leaves and other autumn debris . Invest in a Darlac compost aerator (£ 14 from Garden Gear ). Use it regularly and you ’ ll find the heap goes down much more quickly . A few years after putting it in the ground you may find your favourite plant is starting to look lacklustre ; good growth on the outer edges of the clump , but dying off in the middle . Hostas , day lilies , astrantias , hardy geraniums , sedums and many other clump-forming hardy perennials can be divided now to reinvigorate the plants , and make more for other parts of the garden . Dig up the root ball of the plant , shake off excess soil and lay it out on a piece of plastic sheeting for some surgery – some can be unravelled by hand while others will need back-to-back forks or even a pruning saw to prise them apart . ( While you ’ re at it , check for and squish vine weevil ; small white C-shaped grubs that feast on plant roots .) Each newly formed clump should have a few healthy-looking roots and shoots . You can either replant them in the garden or pot up to pass on to a gardening friend . Keep them well watered until established . Wooden and metal furniture

can start to look pretty ropey after a few seasons of British weather . But a splash of colour can transform it , and protect it through the winter months – particularly useful if you don ’ t have anywhere to store it under cover . Cuprinol garden shades can be used on all exterior wood ; Ronseal garden paint works on wood , brick , terracotta and metal . Pastel beach hut stripes may hark back to summer holidays , but bear in mind that unless you ’ re a whiz with a brush , this look is hard to execute neatly and will double your work time . Instead , make chairs and tables pop with colour . Try Cuprinol ’ s Dazzling Yellow or neon pink Sweet Sundae , or Ronseal ’ s Lime Zest . If you want furniture to be unobtrusive , paint it charcoal grey or black ; or , if you ’ re feeling thrifty , throw caution to the wind and mix together any half-used cans of exterior woodstain sitting in your shed . I risked this recently – the colour turned out a pleasing shade of blue-green , and I used up all the odds and ends of tins I didn ’ t know what to do with . Plastic furniture ( including synthetic rattan ) may just need a wash to smarten it up . Wash down with warm water and a few drops of Stardrops allpurpose cleaner , then rinse with a hose . Use a soft bristle brush ( an old toothbrush is ideal ) to remove ingrained dirt . Magic eraser sponges can help to get rid of really stubborn marks . Plastic garden furniture can be painted , too ;

try Rust-Oleum Direct to Plastic Spray Paint or PlastiKote Outdoor . Wait for a dry spell , and ensure the surfaces to be painted are smooth , free of lichen , bird poo and other debris . You can power-wash it or get to work with sandpaper , but make sure it dries completely before you paint . Grow winter vegetables as bare soil is the enemy of the veg patch : local cats confuse it for a litter tray , and heavy rain can wash away nutrients . After you ’ ve cleared the remains of tomato plants , pumpkins and other summer crops , cover soil with homemade compost , grass cuttings , well-rotted manure or worm casts and top with corrugated cardboard , weighed down with bricks or stones . If you have a cloche or some fleece you can press into service , winter salads such as ‘ Winter Marvel ’ lettuce from the Real Seed Catalogue and corn salad ‘ Verte de Cambrai ’ from Franchi Seeds are ideal for sowing now . Broad beans are another October sowing staple , but tall plants can be damaged in bad winter weather , so try ‘ Super Aquadulce Small ’ from the Organic Gardening Catalogue , which is extremely hardy and reaches just 75cm . If you ’ re in more northerly climes , hedge your bets and wait until spring to sow into pots or open ground . Branches of prickly shrubs or trees ( holly , pyracantha or the like ) positioned around newly sown beds will see off any cats with mischief in mind .