#  Harvesting, tidying and thinking winter are the main things.

#  You can still plant carrots, parsnip, turnips and broad bean seeds. Plant brassicas again now as the white butterfly are not such a problem as the temperatures cool down. But caterpillars will still be hatching and eating, so spray with pyrethrum or target. Pyrethrum is a good natural spray for caterpillars but must be applied in the evening as it breaks down with the UV rays.

#  Plant leeks, lettuce[during the cold they grow OK but are a little coarse as they are growing slower but still good to plant and pick a leak or 2 as required. Mizuna and Coriander are good to grow during the winter and   can spice up a winter salad. Kale, Bok Choy and Spinach   are good quick growing greens for the cooler times.

#  Early autumn is a good time to feed winter and spring fruit producers, especially citrus. It is a good idea to use citrus fertilizer and then mulch with a bag of organic compost.

#  Feijoa and citrus trees[lemon, mandarins, oranges etc] are all available to plant now.

#   Sow lupin or mustard seed in areas of your vegetable garden that you don’t wish to plant this winter. These crops can then be cut down early August and then dug in, improving the soil structure and nutrient levels.

#  Spring bulbs can be planted now….Daffodils etc

#  Remove seed heads from agapanthus and burn them, then they won’t become a weed.

#  Feed camellias with a mulch of organic compost and a couple of handfuls of acid fertilizer. Always keep mulch away from trunks of plants.

#  Plant pansies, polyanthus and primulas in pots and hanging baskets now and they will flower through the winter. Pop a few bulbs in the centre and they will be a surprise in the spring.