Spring

Don't be tempted to buy your summer bedding yet, unless you have a greenhouse, conservatory or cold frame that you can store them in. A late April / early May frost is not uncommon in the UK.

Tidy up any remaining leaves and general garden rubbish. It's home to slugs, snails, vine weevil and woodlice and can introduce disease and infection into your garden. Put out feeders for birds, not forgetting fresh water. Encouraging birds into the garden will help reduce the number of insects and slugs.

Autumn

For a lovely lawn next spring, start to mow less frequently and raise the height of the grass as the growth rate slows down.

Encourage birds into the garden by providing extra food. Place the feeder near a tall shrub, fence or mature tree to provide protection from predators.

This is a good time of year to plant spring bulbs, such as daffodils and tulips, and new perennials - the soil is still warm but moisture levels are increasing.

Summer

As the summer starts to kick in your garden should erupt in an explosion of colour!

To help perfect the colour palette, the Royal Horticultural Society recommend planting peonies, delphiniums, campanulas and lupins. They also suggest planting roses alongside deutzias, and mallows (Lavatera) and philadelphus in the shrub border to create a truly spectacular display.

For extra splashes of colour in your garden you may consider Container Planting or Hanging Baskets.

Winter

During the dormant winter period, less hardy plants may succumb to frost, or to cold excessively wet soil. Leaves may become frost-bitten and roots can rot. So it's important to protect your plants before first frosts strike to ensure the continued health of your plant.

The level of winter protection required depends on where you live and how exposed the planting area is. In sheltered suburban areas you may get away with not protecting tender plants at all. However, if you are going to experiment, do pay attention to weather forecasts - don't get caught out by a sudden hard frost.

Advice

Just for fun!

Spring

Autumn

Summer

Winter