Cover strawberries with a cloche to encourage earlier fruiting. Mulch fruit trees with well-rotted manure or garden compost. Take care

Plant shallots, onion set and early potatoes. Onions are such a versatile vegetable – they feature in so many recipes,

Plant summer-flowering bulbs such as daffodils, snowdrops and tulips. Feed trees, shrubs and hedges with a slow-release fertiliser by lightly

Keep your Cyclamen in a well-lit, cool place. Water from below. Water houseplants lightly until they come into active growth.

Trim deciduous hedges before the birds start nesting. Remember to keep off the grass when there’s a frost, as the

Prune blackcurrant bushes, gooseberries and redcurrants to maintain a productive framework. Mulch fruit trees with well-rotted manure or garden compost,