There is no such thing as a high maintenance plant. Yes, you read that correctly — plants are not demanding. What happens is that sometimes, when we put the wrong plant in the wrong place, we create a maintenance issue.

* It’s still warm enough to germinate green manure and sowing some into vacant beds not only boosts fertility when dug in next spring, but covers your soil against weed colonisation over the autumn and winter.

The garden needs much attention this month, apart from planting bulbs. All of this work comes under the heading of general housekeeping.

Fiann Ó Nualláin says planting in yearly cycles is not that complicated.