The garden may be drab but there is still work to be done, especially with all those slugs and snails about, advises GINA PARKINSON.

IT IS the end of November and until now our garden has kept many of the plants that have normally succumbed to cold weather long before now.

Climbing nasturtiums have done particularly well, growing at an alarming rate and producing very large leaves, although at the expense of flowers.

However, the frost we had in York at the beginning of the week has reduced the more exposed plants to a pile of drooping flesh, which I have taken as a sign to get outside and tidy the garden up for winter.

Gardens can look sad at this time of year, bereft of summer flowers and full of dropped leaves and the brown stems of herbaceous perennials as they die back.

Fallen leaves can be collected and put into wire cages or black bin liners and left to rot down into leaf mould while the dead stems can be cut back, chopped up and put on to the compost heap or taken to the 'green' skips at the council refuse centre.

Leaves used for leaf mould will decompose quicker if they are wet, so give them a good sprinkling with a hose or watering can when they are gathered.

After that, winter weather should give sufficient moisture unless we have a very dry season.

I have successfully created leaf mould by storing leaves in bin liners. It takes about 18 months depending on the size and type of leaf. Holly leaves, for example, take longer than lighter foliage from a deciduous plant such as the climbing hydrangea.

A few drainage holes at the base of the bag and some air holes at the top allows free passage of moisture and air in and out of the bag.

Snails and slugs are a problem in damp weather and in our garden they have so far shown no sign of disappearing for the winter.

Clearing away the debris they may hide in will help to an extent, as will picking up and disposing of them. But in my experience they always appear again.

In desperation we have resorted to sprinkling salt on to the writhing mass of bodies that congregate around our guinea pigs' cage and then removing the stomach churning mess left behind. But, so far, we have not found a really effective solution.

Some plants, such as alpines, are hardy but they dislike winter wet and will rot or die when exposed to conditions that leave moisture around their leaves or if their roots are in cold, wet soil.

The latter problem can be avoided by planting in very free draining soil in an open site. Add coarse grit to the garden soil at planting time if it is heavy.

Moisture around the foliage and crown of the plant can be avoided by covering the vulnerable specimen with a sheet of glass or plastic held above the plant and secured firmly in place so it can't be knocked off by the wind or animals. The sides can be left open to allow air to circulate freely. Plants in a cold frame will also need protection in cold weather, especially at night. Close the lid in the evening and cover with old carpet or a thick layer of sacking. Remove during daylight hours and open the lid a little during the day for ventilation if the temperatures rise.

Updated: 17:04 Friday, November 28, 2003