WEEKEND WORK

Mid-season apples such as Lord Lambourne, Jester, Ribston Pippin, Egremont Russet, Sunset and Spartan should be picked now and stored to use by the end of the year. They keep best in a cool, slightly damp atmosphere.

The trees themselves can be protected against winter moth with greasebands tied around the trunk about three feet from the ground. The bands are about four inches wide and are smothered with sticky petroleum jelly. They trap the wingless female moths as they climb to lay their eggs on the branches. The caterpillars can be a menace in spring.

Seed of several herbaceous perennials can be sown now to provide plants for next season. Gather your own or buy seed of acanthus, anaphalis, astrantia and sea holly and sow in trays in a cold frame.

Lawns still look tired after the dry summer. Dog-eared margins can be repaired without buying new turf. Cut out a rectangle of grass which includes the worn edge. Relay it the other way round so the edge is on the inside. Dust sifted earth over the join.