Gardening - jobs for the week ahead

Cutting back the stems of border plants such as peony, achillea, Russian sage and columbine before winter is good garden hygiene.

Pests and diseases will have fewer places to over-winter – but make sure that you compost only the material that’s disease-free.

Any stems carrying seedheads beloved of the birds or perfect for an autumnal photo-shoot are worth leaving standing.

These include the stems of grasses, poppies, echinacea and other coneflowers. And bear’s britches (acanthus) and liatris (pictured) produce upright and sturdy stems that will remain attractive for many months.

Plant up beds with winter-flowering bedding that will continue to bloom in spring. Polyanthus and primrose are hardy enough in most areas to survive a few years.