Country & Garden: Weekend Work

REMOVE SUMMER bedding and plant spring-flowering bulbs, winter pansies, polyanthus, myosotis, wallflowers and sweet williams.

If alpines have become unruly in a rockery, raised bed or in gravel, lift them carefully and divide, if possible, throwing away the oldest portions. Deadhead the lavish seeders.

Two fungal diseases, mildew (on a wide range of ornamental plants) and blackspot (on roses), are very evident at the moment. It is too late to spray effectively but not too late to pick off the affected leaves and burn them, or bag them up and dispose. If you let the leaves fall naturally, you will ensure a source of infection in the soil for next year.

Dig up carrots and store, provided they have not been tunnelled by the larvae of carrot root fly. If this has happened, they won't store well and need to be eaten quickly.

Use a "biological control" on vine weevil larvae, lurking in the compost of pots in the greenhouse.