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Tackle vine weevils now, before they take a hold, as early action can make all the difference. Swing into action while the damage is limited to just a few notches in the leaves – the first tell-tale signs that these nasty little bugs are about – and you’ll head off potential disaster: vine weevil grubs can kill a plant outright once they get going.

Now is the time to trim evergreen hedges, while they’re at their peak yet while there’s also still time for any new growth which follows to ripen and harden up before the winter frosts set in. A good trim now also makes sure your hedge goes into the end of the season looking in tip-top condition, with crisp, neat edges and a sharp outline just in time for their star role as a handsome architectural framework for your winter garden.

It’s a green-fingered National Heritage Week for Ireland this year, as visitors are invited to celebrate the diversity of Ireland’s nature through some of its greatest gardens.

This week's plant: Jasmine

All across the country, volunteer gardeners have been biting their nails as a crack team of RHS judges tours green spaces from North Berwick to Newquay deciding which are to scoop the top awards in this year’s Britain in Bloom competition.