If you were lucky enough to have been given a Cymbidium orchid for Christmas or you may already have some plants, they will need careful treatment through the winter to keep them healthy. Conditions indoors during winter can be very hot and dry, causing the leaves to dry out at the edges and making the flowers go over quickly. Choosing a position in full light, but out of the sun will benefit the plants, and they should also be placed where they will not be in a cold draught another cause of brown leaf edges. Avoid placing cymbidiums near radiators or other sources of heat, a cool room suits them far better and set a dish of water close to the plants to add a little humidity to the air which may have dried out with central heating. Keep the compost moist and then all you need do is sit back and enjoy your plants.

•With all the cold weather we have had lately don't forget the birds. In the winter with hard frosts and even snow, birds can find it difficult to find food and so it is important to keep putting food out for them. There is a wide range of ready-made bird food mixtures available. The better ones will have been formulated to satisfy the appetites and nutritional needs of a wide range of birds. These can be expensive to supply the birds all winter, but you can use seed from your own garden, that you have saved earlier in the year. Growing your own sunflowers and poppy seed for them is a good way to supply them all winter. As with plants water is essential for the birds so try and ensure a constant unfrozen supply.

•If you have been given a hippeastrum or amaryllis bulb as a gift don't leave it languishing in the box over New Year. Pot it up straight away, but bury only the lower half of the bulb. Water sparingly until the flower buds appear. This is also a good time to restart stored hippeastrums for a beautiful show of flowers in spring.

•When it's cold and wet outside it is the time of year to set about the potting shed clearing out all the things you have been just to busy to do over the past year. Clear out any old plant material that may be harbouring diseases, clean and repair tools, any inefficient or badly worn ones should be replaced. Storing your tools in a clean and dry condition will help extend their working life. And take this opportunity to have your lawn mower serviced too.

•When the weather gets colder it makes it hard to get out and do much work in the garden. But look on the bright side: it is good as it will be killing all those bugs off. All the hardy plants outside will appreciate the cold also as this helps to push them deeper into dormancy.

•The colder weather also helps the last few leaves to fall off plants like roses. For many people roses are a favourite; I must say I am not overly fond of them, as they seem to be a lot of work for a short flowering season. Roses reward the gardener as the more time you spend on them the better they are. Even now in late December you shouldn't forget about them. It is important to get out and collect up all those fallen leaves, because if they are left over winter they may harbour pests and diseases.