10 ways to get your garden ready for winter this November

Green-fingered Brits spend the equivalent of over three years of their working lives out in the backyard preening and maintaining their gardens during their lifetime - though are less likely to venture into their gardens during the winter.

Top 10 jobs this month:1 Clear up fallen leaves - especially from lawns, ponds and beds2 Raise containers onto pot feet to prevent waterlogging3 Plant tulip bulbs for a spring display next year4 Prune roses to prevent wind-rock5 Plant out winter bedding6 Cover brassicas with netting if pigeons are a problem7 Insulate outdoor containers from frost - bubblewrap works well8 Stop winter moth damage to fruit trees using grease bands around the trunks9 Put out bird food to encourage winter birds into the garden10 Use a seasonal bonfire - where this is allowed - to dispose of excess debris unfit for composting

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The research has been carried out by garden furniture specialists BillyOh.com, who discovered that UK gardeners spend an average of a whopping 5,675 hours getting their lawns and flowers looking pristine over 50 years.

Even though Brits are less likely to venture into their gardens during the winter, their love for getting their sears, paint pots and lawnmowers out of the shed still sees them spending an average of just over two hours gardening each week.

“Most garden chores can also only really be undertaken during spring and summer thanks to Britain’s notoriously changeable weather, so a huge chunk of this time will actually be spent during the warmer months, with Brits’ gardens often becoming a little neglected during the winter," says a spokesman for BillyOh.com.

For many gardeners, the next few months are regarded as the closed season for gardening - but get some little jobs done now and you’ll reap the benefits when spring returns.

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With temperatures dropping, The Royal Horticultural Society's (RHS) say tender plants will need protecting from frost, gales and freezing rains.

The RHS also advise gardeners to move plants into the greenhouse, or into a sheltered spot. But if you can't, it is worth wrapping plants or pots.