After so many soggy months how do we prepare the garden for this coming winter? Will the Jet Stream slip south heralding an arctic blast or give us more of the same?

Whatever the weather gods throw at us, some tasks are on the ‘to do’ list. If you’re lucky enough to have a greenhouse or polytunnel, growing plants need as much light as possible, so cleaning glass or the plastic skin is essential. But make no mistake, I don’t completely spring cleaning either place as I’m happy to leave any resident spiders or overwintering beneficials in peace.

Regardless of the weather, our more tender plants need protection from the elements, freeze or flood. A tunnel keeps everything dry but it’s every bit as cold as outdoors, so some pots may sometimes need a plant jacket. And in a warmer greenhouse, keep containers well away from glass walls where it will be very cold.

On the patio, group outdoor containers together whenever possible, as less of the pot perimeters will be exposed to the cold. You may also have to drape a blanket over planters, ensuring this duvet doesn’t lie on plants. A couple of old slates or pot feet keep containers off the ground and allows for better drainage.

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Putting the rest of the garden to bed for the winter is the biggest task for most of us. The beds need a final tidy, mine certainly do. Fortunately weeds have a winter rest, so a final go over now will keep them under control till spring and collapsed vegetation must be removed. It’s unsightly and, during a wet spell, becomes a soggy mess, smothering and rotting its crown and those of nearby plants. As we all know cold, wet soil can be root-rotting and more lethal to many plants than low temperatures.

But not everything needs cutting to ground level: some species, such as ornamental grasses and hydrangeas, should not be cut back as the leaves and faded flowerheads protect next year’s buds and growing points.

The stiff stems of fennel, eryngium and achillea will last a bit longer. But the fleeting view of these majestic, eye-catchers wondrously rimmed with frost is the sole preserve of glossy mag photographers. If, once in a blue moon, this image is replicated in your garden, seize your camera, take a shot, post it on Instagram and fell the stalk before reality kicks in. Of course our plants and overwintering wildlife need shelter and we only want to remove potentially damaging foliage. But we do have to compromise between covering dormant plants against very low temperatures and removing sog-absorbing plant litter.

We must also be sure that mulches aren’t damaging. Soil-like ones - leafmould and any fibrous material do a great job. Rough compost and coarse grit are fine as these mulches allow for good drainage without acting as a wet blanket. Straw, hay or grass clippings do a fine job suppressing weeds and acting as ground cover during the growing season but soak up every drop of rain in winter and keep the ground cold and wet.

Pot Marigold flowers for monthsPot Marigold flowers for months (Image: free) Plant of the week

Calendula officinalis, Pot Marigold, flowers for months, especially if deadheaded. Plants in well drained spots are still producing lots of their vivid orange flowers and will continue to do so until we have a succession of hard frosts. After a mild winter the plant may start up again in spring, for a while.

Since it is an annual you will need to sow seed in spring, but you can successfully direct sow. If you are not too assiduous with the deadheading it will also self seed.