The first outdoor sowings and plantings can be done, much of which will depend on your own soil type of course. Even where I am in Hertfordshire, the water table is very high and even the smallest amount of rain seems to make an otherwise firm soil or lawn into a mess when walking across it. If this is the case in your part of the country, then outdoor sowings can always be made into trays or pots and transplanted later - this includes the hardy flowering annuals as well. Sowings of the half-hardy plants will have to be nurtured in the greenhouse for the time being and slowly hardened off before they can safely go outside. Hardening off will involve setting the plants outside in their trays or pots during sunny or mild days and then bringing them in at night before the temperatures drop. Before leaving any new seedlings in the greenhouse, do make sure you double check for any signs of pests that may be lingering, otherwise those new seedlings could be their next meal.

The winter Jasmine has nearly finished flowering and all the flowering stems can be removed to allow new growth through for flowering next year. The Mahonia x Bealii can be tidied up too as the flowers begin to go over - just wait a couple of weeks if you want to reduce the height - new shoots will begin to emerge on the main stems giving you an indication where the buds are.

You only have a couple of weeks now to complete the top fruit pruning. It will be necessary to start spraying in the next couple of weeks against various pests and diseases including Sawfly, Codling Moth Aphids and Mildew. Spraying will need to begin just after blossom fall.

Weather permitting, get digging sooner rather than later - there is no need to double dig, just turning it over will be sufficient if only to try to dry out the top surface.

The next couple of weeks will be the last opportunity to plant bare root stock. When planting trees always get a good heavy stake to support it. One tip is, after you have dug the hole for the tree, bang the stake in first - it is much easier putting a tree to a stake than the other way round. When planting always put a handful of bonemeal into the soil before you fill in this will help with root development and ensure a good start.

The chrysanthemum cuttings can be taken as basal cuttings, no longer than about 4", again removing the lower leaves and ensuring that the tip is retained. Place into seed trays or plug trays and cover with a propagator lid with a little venting, as they prefer a humid environment for rooting.

Sweet Peas are always a classic favourite especially as they are now available in specific colours and fragranced packs. Remember to soak the seed overnight to ensure a uniform germination. These can either be sown individually into pots or into seed trays. In pots, as well as the reduced handling, it is easier to pinch out at 6" without causing them to break, ready for their final planting. With early sowing it is possible to get them out as soon as possible and benefit from the earlier flowering. When picked regularly through the season they will go on and on.

Catch crops of lettuce and radish can be sown - cloche the rows to give some added protection and sow thinly to ensure a gentle supply through the season. Any parsnips still in the ground should now be lifted before they waste. Shallots and onions can be set out in drills. When planting, just push firmly into the soil with a light twist. If you are plagued with wildlife lifting them out, protect with a frame of netting. Just get some short bamboo canes set along the row with small plastic bottles over the ends, then drape the netting over the canes along the row. The whole lot can be easily removed when they have rooted into the soil.

Winter flowering heathers can be lightly trimmed to remove the old flowering stems. Depending on the amount that has to be done, don't be afraid to tackle this with a hedge trimmer. Take the cutting slowly so as not to create a ragged finish. Any that look a little ragged anyway, can be pruned a little harder to encourage new growth.

Hellebores (Christmas rose) have a variety of leaf types and an abundance of flower colours ranging from greens, pinks, creams, whites and almost black - they give a welcome splash in an otherwise dreary part of the year. Her indoors has a particular passion for them (as well as for me of course!) When I visit nurseries I always have strict instructions to pick one up, no matter how small, even the sick looking ones.

They prefer a well-drained soil; raised beds are ideal, with plenty of organic matter at the bottom. Leaf mould is best, well-rotted manure will be the next best thing. They prefer a light position away from direct sun and can be grown under trees providing that the canopy is fairly high to allow light through, but not too close to the trunk as this can tend to be too dry for them. The only real maintenance is to deadhead the flowers when they have finished (unless you want to save the seed), and periodic mulch in the autumn. The splitting of Hellebores is done when they have finished flowering.

One area of the garden that normally takes quite a beating over the winter months is the lawn - the most troublesome problem being moss due to the rain. A high cut now will ensure that, come the end of the month when the season gets going, immediate applications of moss treatment can take place. Light scarifying can be done as a head start especially if you are thinking of aerating later on. It's too early to seed yet, but turf can be laid to patch and repair edges.

Ponds can generally be expected to take care of themselves, but even the most well managed ones will need to be cleaned out from time to time. A small pond will probably need clearing out every 5 years, whereas a larger one will go to 10 years or more. Clearing the pond is necessary on several fronts. Plants may be becoming invasive or need splitting/re-crating and there will invariably be an amount of 'sludge' on the bottom which will be a collection of silt, and other rotting debris (leaves etc.) - this will reduce the amount of oxygen to any fish that are in there. It will also give you an opportunity to check for any leaks if there has been an unusual drop in the water level over the last few months. When removing any fish place them into a sizable container using the existing water from the pond together with some existing weed as well. When re-filling the pond, allow the water to stand for several days before re-introducing the fish back. If it has been necessary to place a pond heater in the water, then this can be removed and replaced with the pump. Before placing it back into the water, dismantle where possible and clean out all filters. It's worth dropping it into a bucket of water and switching on just to check everything is ok before leaning precariously over the centre of your pond only to find it doesn't work.

Whilst going around your garden at this time of year, keep an eye out for signs of the dreaded vine weevil - plants that have been otherwise quite healthy have their root systems stripped. There are various compounds and chemicals on the market to control vine weevil.

As always, spare a thought for a true friend of the garden - birds will soon start to think about nesting and you can help. Many people have tumbledriers with filters so when you clean out the filter put the flock into a bird feeder - you'll be amazed how quickly it goes!

Happy Gardening,