1 Prune off the spent flower stems of roses, about 30-40cm below the dead bloom, to stimulate new growth that will usually result in an autumn flush of flowers. To help the process, apply a 5cm-thick layer of lucerne mulch around the base of the plant.

2 Red flowering gums (Corymbia ficifolia) are at their peak in the southern states now. Trees grown from seeds do not always produce good coloured flowers; however, in recent years grafted plants have appeared in nurseries to ensure the colour of the parent plant 
is true to type.

3 Start a compost heap with the lawn clippings that 
are produced in profusion at this time of year. Put down a 10cm layer of lawn clippings, mixed with dead leaves, shredded newspaper and shredded prunings from the garden. Then add a 2-3cm layer of nutrient rich material such as chook manure or kitchen scraps, followed by another 10cm layer of lawn clippings, and so on. Keep alternating these layers until you run out of material to add. Turn the heap once a week, and within a couple of months you will have a brilliant compost to add into your garden soil.

4 Watch out for curl grub damage in 
your garden and pot 
plants. Curl grubs 
are C-shaped white caterpillars with orange heads (reminiscent of a witchetty grub); they are the larvae of the African black beetle and the Argentinian 
scarab beetle, and are voracious 
feeders on the roots of many garden 
plants and lawns. Wilting foliage on 
well-watered plants is the most obvious symptom to look for.

Use a garden fork to turn the soil over to expose them and birds such as chooks (if you have them) or magpies will eat them.

5 The NSW Christmas bush (Ceratopetalum gummiferum) is finishing its flowering right now, so you 
can prune about 30cm or so 
off the ends of the branches of your Christmas bush at the same time as you take down your Christmas lights. Also, give it a good feed of well-rotted manure 
(a layer a couple of centimetres thick will be ideal), around the base of the plant. Then add a layer of lawn clippings on top of that as mulch, and your plant is set for 
a fantastic growing season.

6 Watch out for bronze orange bugs (also known as stink bugs) on your citrus. Young bronze orange bugs are hard to spot as their colour closely matches the colour of the leaves of citrus trees, but mature bugs are clearly visible, feeding on young shoots, fruit and flowers. Remove the bugs by knocking them into a can of very hot water or methylated spirits, or by sucking them off the tree with your vacuum cleaner. Wear protective glasses to avoid the toxic secretions they can squirt at you.

7 If you have recently put new plants in your garden watch for signs of 
water stress such as wilted foliage. You can erect some temporary shade such as shade cloth, 
or even a small branch that you may 
have pruned from a nearby shrub, to protect the new plants. By autumn the shade can be removed as the plant will 
be much better established and the weather will be cooling down.

8 Coriander, dill, Italian parsley and other plants from the Umbelliferae 
family are noted for rapidly going to seed at this time 
of year because of the warm weather. 
The good news is, some of this seed 
can be replanted straight away in the garden for your next crop. The rest 
of it can be stored in an airtight jar 
for use in the kitchen. Simply grind 
up the dried seeds and use the resulting powdered herb in your cooking. That way, nothing is wasted.

9 Carrot and lettuce seeds can be planted 
into a large pot or even straight into a garden bed by fluffing the soil up with a trowel or hand fork. Then create a furrow a centimetre or so deep, take a pinch of seed between thumb and index finger, and sprinkle the seed out sparingly along the row. After it has germinated in a couple of weeks, come back and thin out the seedlings so there is one plant every 10cm. 
The extra seedlings you thin out can be transplanted elsewhere 
in your garden. If you know there are snails and slugs about you will need to protect the seedlings from predation. A barrier of sawdust or similar coarse material can be sprinkled around the edge of your garden to stop the pests getting to your precious plants.

10 Herbs such as marjoram, oregano and rosemary should have produced a lot of growth during spring and some of this foliage can be harvested and dried right now. Simply place the leaves on some tissue paper or a drying rack, and keep 
in a warm dry spot. These highly aromatic and slightly pungent herbs add a delicious taste to pasta sauces and pizzas.