Overview

• Bring tender container plants indoors before the first night frost, with exotics like Mandevilla moved at about 5–8 °C and evergreen species placed in the brightest possible spot.
• Shift to autumn care now by reducing watering, stopping fertiliser, checking for pests, and cutting damaged growth, while leaving oleander unpruned until spring.
• For plants that remain outside, insulate pots and roots by wrapping containers and raising them off the ground, then cover foliage with breathable fleece, jute or brushwood rather than airtight plastic.
• Guard against frost-drying, the top winter killer, by providing occasional watering on frost-free days and using reed or willow mats to shade evergreens from low winter sun.
• Use natural mulches for beds with a modest leaf layer that does not exceed about five centimetres, keeping it in place with a sprinkle of compost to prevent rot and wind loss.