- Plant out annual summer bedding plants now the risk of frost has passed.
- Plant up containers, hanging baskets and planters now the risk of frost has passed.
- Continue to thin out drifts of hardy annuals if they're overcrowded.
- Lift and divide clumps of snowdrops and bluebells once the leaves start to yellow.
- Lift and divide overcrowded clumps of bulbs.
- Keep newly planted trees and shrubs well-watered whilst they establish.
- It's not too late to sow seeds of annual plants - for a full list of annuals that you can still sow now see our what to sow and grow page.
- Pinch out the tips of your Fuchsias to encourage a bushy habit and more flowers.
- If any of your hanging basket plants have become leggy or misshapen, simply trim the excess off - this will encourage bushy growth.
- As soon as your sweet peas start to flower, keep picking them to encourage more blooms.
- Dead-head your roses if they are repeat-flowering types. Otherwise leave the seed heads on for decoration.
- Cut back bulb foliage as soon as it has died down naturally.
- Harvest flower heads from your lavender plants to use in baking or as a garnish to your meals!
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- Thin out drifts of hardy annuals.
- Harden off half-hardy plants by leaving them outside during the day and bringing back under cover at night for 7 to 10 days before planting outdoors.
- You can still divide herbaceous perennials now to improve their vigour and create new plants.
- Divide Hostas as they come into growth.
- Trim back spreading plants such as aubrieta, alyssum and candytuft after they have flowered to encourage fresh new growth and more flowers.
- Don't be tempted to cut down or tie up the foliage of spring-flowering bulbs, let them die down naturally.
- Trim lavender plants now, cutting off any old flower heads and about 2.5cm (1 inch) of the current year's growth.
- To reduce the spread of forget-me-not, lift the plants now to prevent heavy self-seeding.
- Take cuttings of tender perennials such as Fuchsia, Argyranthemum and Pelargoniums (geraniums). The new shoots of hardy perennials can also be used for cuttings.
- Take softwood cuttings of shrubby herbs (such as sage and lemon verbena).
- Tie in your sweet peas with plant support rings to encourage them to climb.
- Prune spring-flowering shrubs after flowering.
- Cut back flowered shoots of Choisya to promote a second flush of flowers in autumn.
- Top-dress permanent pot plants to refresh the compost. • Give your container plants a balanced liquid feed every two to four weeks to promote healthy growth.
- Plant up pots and baskets of summer bedding and harden off before placing in position. In cold areas wait until June.
- Start to closely inspect your plants for pests and diseases - early prevention is easier than curing an infestation.
- Pick off larvae of rosemary, viburnum and lily beetles as soon as they are seen.
- Look out for signs of blackspot on roses. If discovered, Blackspot can be treated with a systemic fungicide.
- Continue to weed beds and borders to prevent competition for water and nutrients.
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- Apply a layer of mulch around your perennials, trees and shrubs before the hot weather arrives. Use organic matter such as well rotted manure.
- Lift and divide perennial plants now to improve their vigour and create new plants for your garden.
- Divide Hostas before they come into leaf.
- Divide Primroses after they have finished flowering.
- You can start to move evergreen shrubs and trees now provided the soil isn't frozen or waterlogged.
- Continue to plant herbaceous perennials.
- Check any tree ties to make sure the tie is not cutting into the trunk. Loosen any that are tight to allow the trunk room to expand.
- Check that your container plants are not drying out - warm weather will quickly affect soil moisture levels.
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- Deadhead daffodils as the flowers finish and let the foliage die back naturally.
- Dead-head Hydrangeas before new growth appears. Cut to about one third of last season's growth.
- Finish cutting back any dead foliage left on your perennials and ornamental grasses to make way for new growth.
- Trim winter-flowering heathers as the flowers disappear, to prevent the plants becoming leggy.
- Prune overwintered fuchsias back to one or two buds on each shoot.
- Roses should be fed with a special rose feed or a balanced fertiliser as they come into growth and prune. Roses are greedy plants and will greatly benefit from feeding as they come into growth.
- Plant out any forced flower bulbs in the garden, such as hyacinths and daffodils which have finished flowering indoors.
- If the soil is workable, dig in a 5cm (or more) layer of compost or well-rotted manure into your beds to prepare for the growing season ahead. You can also work in a general-purpose fertiliser such as pelleted chicken manure or fish, blood and bone.
- If you need to move deciduous trees or shrubs, now is the time to do it provided the soil is not frozen or waterlogged.
- Feed trees, shrubs and hedges with a slow-release fertiliser by lightly forking it into the soil surface.
- Plant herbaceous perennials. Lift and divide established perennial plants now to improve their vigour and create new plants for your garden.
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- Still time to prune your Wisteria now, cutting back summer side-shoots to 2 or 3 buds.
- Towards the end of the month prune summer-flowering Clematis before active growth begins - find out how with our clematis pruning guide.
- Cut back shrubs such as Cornus and Salix cultivars (grown for their colourful winter stems) down to their bases.
- Cut back the old foliage from ornamental grasses before growth begins - clip them to within a few centimetres of the ground.
- Prune overwintered fuchsias back to one or two buds on each shoot.
- Prune winter flowering shrubs such as Mahonia and Viburnum x bodnantense after their colourful display has finished.
- Trim winter-flowering heathers as the flowers disappear, to prevent the plants becoming leggy.
- Remove any faded flowers from your winter pansies to stop them setting seed.
- Lift and divide snowdrops still 'in the green' if you want to move them or create more plants.
- If you need to move deciduous trees or shrubs, now is the time to do it provided the soil is not frozen or waterlogged.
- Hardwood cuttings taken last year may need planting or potting on now.
- Pot on rooted cuttings of tender perennial plants taken last summer.
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- Prune your Wisteria plant now, cutting back summer side-shoots to 2 or 3 buds.
- Prune rose bushes now whilst they are dormant. Cut back to just above a bud and remove any crossing or dead branches.
- Cut back damaged, diseased and the oldest stems of brightly coloured willows, and thin overcrowded stems.
- Remove any faded flowers from your winter pansies to stop them setting seed.
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- Start to winter-prune your Wisteria, cutting back summer side-shoots to 2 or 3 buds.
- Prune climbing roses now; cutting away diseased or damaged growth and tying in any new shoots to their support. Prune older flowered side shoots back by two thirds of their length.
- Prune Japanese Maples (Acers) and vines now if needed, as they will bleed sap if pruning is done any later.
- Leave the faded flower heads on your hydrangeas until the spring, as they will provide frost protection to the swelling buds further down the stems.
- Gather up fallen leaves from around the base of rose bushes which suffered from blackspot or rust this summer, to reduce the chance of infection next year.
- Move containers of shrubs or bedding plants to a sheltered spot; clustering them together helps protect the root systems from suffering frost damage.
- Take hardwood cuttings from suitable trees and shrubs.
- Plant up winter containers with hardy cyclamen, ivy, skimmia and evergreen grasses such as Carex to add colour to your garden. Place them in prominent places beside entrances and well used paths to enjoy their winter display.
- Plant some shrubs for winter interest. Sarcococca confusa adds colour and fragrance to your garden now.
- If you still haven't planted your tulip bulbs there is still time, provided the ground isn't frozen.
- Spread fresh gravel or grit around alpine plants.
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- There's still time to plant daffodil bulbs and other spring flowering bulbs for a magnificent start to next year’s display.
- Plant tulip bulbs now to prevent Tulip Fire infection.
- Plant up a terracotta pot of hyacinth bulbs for a simple but stunning display next spring.
- Plant out spring bedding displays of pansies, violas and primulas.
- Plant heathers, grasses and trailing ivy in pots for winter colour.
- Cut back the yellowing foliage of herbaceous perennials, and lift and divide overcrowded clumps to maintain their vigour.
- Before the birds eat them all, cut a few stems of holly with berries for making Christmas garlands. Stand them in a bucket of water in a sheltered spot where our feathered friends can't take them.
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- Now that colder weather is approaching, protect half-hardy plants with fleece.
- Plant daffodil bulbs, tulip bulbs and Allium bulbs for a glorious spring display. Dot them through borders or naturalise them.
- Plant bare root ornamental trees and shrubs.
- Plant spring bedding such as wallflowers, Bellis, Primulas and winter pansies for a fantastic spring display.
- If your summer containers are looking past their best, re-plant them with fresh winter bedding plants.
- Autumn is the ideal time to plant Clematis plants.
- This month is an ideal time to move trees and shrubs, and plant hedges.
- Hardwood cuttings can be taken now from deciduous shrubs.
- Prune climbing roses and rambling roses once they've finished flowering and tie in the stems before autumn winds cause damage.
- Clear up fallen rose leaves to prevent diseases such as black spot from over-wintering - don't compost the leaves.
- Clear overhanging plants away from pathways to maintain access routes throughout the garden.
- Cut back perennial plants that have died down or alternatively leave the dead foliage in place for over-wintering wildlife.
- Lift and divide any overcrowded herbaceous perennials whilst the soil is still warm.
- After tidying borders, mulch with bark chips, well-rotted manure, leaf mould or spent mushroom compost to insulate plant roots for the winter and keep weed growth in check.
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- Continue to feed and dead-head your hanging basket and container plants - they will often keep going until the first frosts.
- Try autumn-sowing hardy annuals for bigger plants next year.
- Start to divide herbaceous perennials as the weather cools. Make sure you water in the new divisions well.
- Fill gaps in borders with autumn flowering plants such as sedum and chrysanthemum to extend the colour to the end of the season.
- Plant hyacinth and amaryllis bulbs for forcing, to ensure a crowd of colourful blooms at Christmas.
- Plant spring-flowering bulbs such as daffodils, crocus and hyacinths now.
- Plant out any biennial plants sown earlier in the year, or if you didn't have time, you can buy plants now. This includes foxgloves, wallflowers and Violas.
- September is a good time to plant new perennials as the soil is still warm but there is generally more rainfall.
- Keep deadheading annuals, perennials and roses to extend their performance.
- Prune climbing roses and rambling roses once they've finished flowering (unless they are repeat-flowering, in which case leave them).
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- Keep patio container plants well-watered and feed with a liquid fertiliser every fortnight.
- Dead-head bedding plants and perennial plants to stop them self-seeding and to encourage further flowering into the autumn.
- Trim your lavender plants after they’ve finished flowering to keep them compact.
- Cut back faded perennials to keep borders tidy.
- Cut back herbs now to encourage a new flush of tasty leaves you can harvest before the frost.
- Prune summer flowering shrubs once they have finished blooming.
- Prune climbing roses and rambling roses once they've finished flowering (unless they are repeat-flowerers in which case leave them).
- Collect ripened seed and store for next year. Leaving some seed heads in place can be attractive and allows the plant to self-seed in the surrounding soil.
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- Prune Wisteria by removing the whippy side-shoots from the main branch framework to about 20cm from their base (about five leaves from the main stem).
- Dead-head bedding plants and perennial plants to stop them self-seeding and to encourage further flowering.
- Dead-head your roses to keep them looking tidy. Leave the flowers in place if your rose produces attractive hips (seed pods).
- Dead-head sweet peas regularly to keep them blooming. Water daily in dry weather.
- Capture seed heads from dandelions and other weeds. Collect them before they get a chance to release their seeds and spread throughout your garden.
- Keep an eye out for pests on plants, early treatment is best.
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