Prior to sowing peas and snow peas, fork in some well-rotted compost and a handful of garden lime. For climbing varieties, install a trellis for support. Sow seeds direct into the garden and water deeply. Don't water again until green shoots poke through the soil.
Store fallen leaves from lawn and gutters in a hessian bag with half a bucket of blood and bone. In spring, this powerful leaf mulch can be added straight to the garden. Alternatively, run over leaves with a mower and add them to the compost heap.
Plant rhubarb crowns in well-drained soil. Mulch with compost or cow manure as soon as leaves appear, keeping it clear of the stems. Feed regularly with pelletised fertiliser and manure.
Wash and disinfect all gardening tools, and sharpen cutting tools. Store small tools in a sand-filled trough. Mix a quarter-cup of motor oil through the sand, so that the sand is slightly moist. Before returning tools to the trough, wipe them with a rag. The sand will keep tools clean and sharp, and the oil will keep them rust-free.
Gall wasps attack citrus trees and cause swellings in the stem. Prune any affected wood and burn. While you're at it, control scale and leaf miner by spraying regularly every two weeks with eco-oil.
Plant strawberry runners in a sunny spot with well-drained soil that has been enriched with compost and organic matter. Plant them into raised mounds so the fruit will hang down. Mulch between the mounded rows with sugar cane mulch to help keep the fruit clean.