Jobs for December

Outdoor Plants​

1. Plant bare-root roses, shrubs, hedging and ornamental trees, as long as the ground isn't frozen

2. Take root cuttings of fleshy-rooted perennials such as oriental poppies, acanthus and verbascums

3. Establish new colonies of snowdrops and hellebores by buying plants in flower, so you can choose the prettiest blooms

4. Clear away soggy, collapsed stems of perennials and compost them

5. Take hardwood cuttings from deciduous shrubs, such as forsythia, willow and viburnum

6. Remove and bin hellebore foliage marked with black blotches, to limit the spread of leaf spot disease

7. Press mistletoe berries into the bark of apple trees to establish your own mistletoe plants

8. Check that small alpines don't become smothered by fallen leaves and other wind-blown debris

9. Deadhead winter pansies and other bedding regularly, and remove any foliage affected by downy mildew

10. Move deciduous shrubs that are in the wrong place to more suitable sites

11. Check for rot on stored bulbs and tubers, and ensure dahlia and canna tubers haven't totally dried out

12. Continue pruning climbing roses, while they are dormant