Do it!

0 Comments | Sunday Mirror, Nov 11, 2007

EASY

CHECK pots of bulbs being forced for Christmas. Give them plenty of light when the shoots are 2ins tall and increase the warmth when the flower buds emerge.

PLANT tulips and hyacinth bulbs outdoors in bold drifts of the same variety, or in blends of the same colour throughout flowerbeds.

WRAP non-frost-resistant patio pots with bubble polythene to prevent them cracking in the cold.

EFFORT

DIG up and divide old, tired clumps of rhubarb. Replant fist- size pieces with several buds in ground that has been enriched with well-rotted manure.

ERECT a temporary windbreak using netting fixed to posts to protect newly-planted conifer hedges from extreme weather.

PRUNE bush roses, trimming them back by one-third and dispose of any diseased stems and leaves in the dustbin.

TOUGH

PAINT timber features with preservative. Replace broken window panes in the greenhouse. Clear fallen leaves from guttering and protect outdoor pipes.

CLEAR fallen leaves from the lawn and flowerbeds and use them to make leaf mould for conditioning the soil in future.

PRUNE wisteria for improved flowering next year. Trim any summer growth that is not required to within 3in of the main stem. Cut all stems back to a bud.