By Debby Looney, gardening expert

There are always things to be done in the garden, but at this time of year it is maintenance and cleaning, neither of which are my favourite jobs!

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Glasshouses should be tidied and cleaned, as bugs and diseases will lurk and survive in the relative warmth of the glasshouse. An ideal, though not organic, way to get aphids and other insects under control is by using an insect ‘bomb'. This will diffuse a toxic smoke killing all insects. If you are keen to use the glasshouse during the winter, remember to insulate against frost, unless you have heating, of course. There are several ways in which to heat your glasshouse, paraffin heaters would have been the most common way of heating in the past, though they are near impossible to purchase these days. Most heating nowadays uses electricity. I see solar panels popping up beside glasshouses, which is a great thing with heated beds being the most cost effective and energy efficient method. This essentially involves running specially designed heating cables under the beds which keeps them at a constant temperature. Insulate with a horticultural grade bubble wrap. Remember, the only heat your polytunnel or glasshouse gets is that from the sun, which, in the winter can be very little, and disappears fast, or the heat from the ground. It is this ground warmth which is your main source of heating, especially at night, so if you have tender plants, protecting them from above with horticultural fleece will minimise the effects of cold air.

If you have plants in pots outside, try to group them together. This will keep the roots that bit warmer, especially during very cold spells. Make sure drainage holes in pots are clear and plants do not become waterlogged. Here in Kerry waterlogging is more of a problem than frost damage, so it is worth your while to put pots under cover or on a side of the building that does not get all the rain!

Perennial summer plants, such as geraniums, gaura, osteospermum, fuchsias etc are much more likely to survive winter if brought indoors, where the temperature is guaranteed to stay around 10 degrees Celsius. Cut back now to a neat manageable size, and check occasionally for watering. It is unlikely they will need more than a once a week water.

The last few days have been very wet, surely a reminder of how the winter might be! Covering over beds, both inside and outside, with black polythene and/or a mulch will prevent nutrients leaching out, and keep the soil a little drier. It will also benefit you in the spring when it comes to sowing and planting out potatoes as the soil will be significantly warmer than if it is unprotected.