Over the last week the weather has turned really cold and wintry more like we would expect. The cold snap will have killed off many of the bugs that attack plants later in the the year. The other good thing is it has stimulated all the spring flowering bulbs to come up. My front lawn is starting to look a picture with all the crocuses and snowdrops, and in the borders I have been very pleased with the dwarf iris.

•I am now starting the second year with a greenhouse. The level of investment can be high but it does allow you to produce your own plants much earlier in the season. The greenhouse is also used to house over-wintering perennials such as my bird of paradise that spends most of the year outside. If you are thinking of buying a greenhouse, take time to think about the best site: it needs to be easily accessible, in a sheltered position with good light. Access to mains water and electricity are not essential but they are very useful for propagation and heating. Think about what you want to grow too, as this will affect your choice of greenhouse and how you can use it. Will it be purely functional or do you want to use it partly as a garden room? What sort of plants will you want to grow in it? Will you heat it in the winter?

•During this cold weather it is essential that we look after the birds by placing fresh water and food out for them. Now is also a good time to put up bird boxes to give the birds some time to get used to them, before selecting a nest site.

•Organic fertilisers should be applied at this time of year. The likes of seaweed meal, blood, fish and bone, or pelleted chicken manure break down and release their nutrients more slowly than artificial ones. That means they will be available to the plants when they need it, in early spring. A sprinkling of fertiliser around the base of plants will do them the world of good after a long winter. Apply the fertiliser at the manufacturers' instructed rate and work it into the surface carefully.

•While you are out in the garden with pruning in mind, have a look at the late flowering clematis. Clematis orientalis, Clematis texensis, Clematis viticella and many of its varieties, should be pruned this month. This type of clematis is the easiest to prune as you just cut them down to 23-45cm from ground level, cutting each stem back to just above a healthy bud. These clematis are ideal to grow up through other shrubs as they never smother the shrub they grow through. After pruning, feed and mulch the plants, the mulch will help to keep the roots cool during the summer which clematis like, although their heads should be in the sun. Winter flowering jasmine can also be pruned around now as the flowers go over. Start by pruning out the dead wood, then tie in any stems that you need, and then shorten all the side growths back to the framework.

•Stored dahlia tubers need to be potted up now in some dry potting compost. New shoots can be used in March to form softwood cuttings. Bring the tubers into a well-lit area and spray with clean water occasionally. Newly-bought tubers can be treated in the same way.