So if you need to make changes, create more garden space or believe that some of your plants will grow better elsewhere in your garden, get going. Most plants have now become dormant and will have the time to “settle in” through the cooler months. They’re then ready to prosper and grow in spring.

Most of your deciduous trees and shrubs are probably bare by now. So it’s also the right time to see what branches need to be pruned back or taken out. If you’re struggling with a shady garden, get out the shears and saws and let a little sunlight in.

Now that there's no real excuse for you to sit cosily indoors, put those woolly hats on, protect your gardening hands, and get pruning and planting.

Watering and fertilising

Fertilise your spring-flowering bulbs and established winter annuals with Multifood Flowgro, Bulb Booster, 3:1:5 (26) SR or any soluble food.

Fertilise your sweet peas every two weeks and remove any side shoots to encourage stronger stems and better flowers.

Mulch soil with compost, sawdust, bark chips and fallen leaves. This prevents soil moisture loss and keeps the roots warm through the winter.

Water azaleas, camellias and proteas regularly to ensure good flowering in spring.

Water your Kikuyu lawn twice this month.

Water your citrus trees well.

Water and fertilise plants and herbs in outdoor containers regularly to prevent drying out. Remember that indoor plants need less watering and feeding in winter, though.

Gardening guide

This article appears courtesy of GardenShop.

Pruning

Ensure secateurs and pruners are sharp and spray bottles are in good working order in readiness for pruning.

Start pruning fruit trees. Early-bearing varieties can be pruned early in June and the later-bearing varieties later on in the month.

Remove faded flowers on annuals to encourage more flowers especially your pansies and petunias.

Planting

Sow vegetable seeds like beetroot, broad beans, broccoli, cabbage, carrots and radishes.

Plant vegetable seedlings like cabbage, lettuce, leeks, onions, moss-curled parsley, Swiss chard and spinach.

Plant seedlings like allysum, antirrhinum, Bellis perennis, chrysanthemum, cineraria, delphinium, dianthus, foxglove, gazania, Iceland poppies, lobelia, nemesia, pansy, primula, primula obconica, petunia, phlox, schizanthus, sweet pea, verbena, viola and Virginian stocks.

Plant Lilium bulbs.

Don't forget

Continue spreading insecticide granules around the base of your conifers.

Protect your frost sensitive plants.

Continue feeding your spring-flowering bulbs that are still hibernating.

Growing herbs

Growing herbs in winter is not only possible, but easy. Many herbs are suitable for planting now and some even prefer cooler conditions.

Winter recommendations are parsley, Italian parsley, thyme, sage, chives, oreganum, rosemary, winter savoury, hyssop, yarrow, lavender, santolina, viola “heartsease”, chervil and sorrel.

Start off by choosing a north-facing patio that will give protection from the cold and, most importantly, will give your herbs at least four hours of sun in the day. Consider planting herbs in containers so that you can move the containers easily to follow the sun.

Water the herbs at least twice a week to prevent drying out and fertilise once a month with a liquid fertiliser like Multifeed or Margaret Roberts Organic Supercharger.