Sweet peas can be sown outside but they do need some winter protection either under cloches or in a cold greenhouse.

This is the absolute last chance to plant most spring bulbs but the best time to plant tulips. If there’s no room in the garden, try putting some into containers.

Plant out winter onion sets and garlic cloves.

Plant soft fruits such as raspberries and blackberries. If you have cloches you can sow broad beans and peas.

Keep an eye on Brussels sprouts and cabbages, and if birds find them delicious, cover them with netting.

Try taking hardwood cuttings of deciduous shrubs and fruit.

Crisp edges make a lawn seem tidier and fresher, even on dull winter days. When night-time temperatures fall to near freezing and below, the lawn will stop growing so it’s worth cutting the edges now as they should stay trim until the end of winter.

A very easy way to make leaf mould is to rake up damp leaves, put them in a bin bag with a few air holes and tie the top. By next autumn you should have magically produced crumbly leaf mould that can be used as a mulch.

.Plant out winter bedding. Pansies and violas look delicate, but polyanthus and primroses have the edge for presence. A new type of plant to watch out for is the double primrose. It’s available in many colours and is so beautiful it looks like winter roses.