Facing up to the wreckage inflicted on your garden by this year’s hard winter can feel like a major property development project. But, with a little planning and hard work, you won’t need architects or landscape gardeners to redesign it. It’s good, healthy outdoor work, which should make a change from all that indoor building, painting, decorating and plastering for all DIY project aficionados.

Begin by taking stock of just what damage has been done. A first job is to get rid of what’s beyond repair – have a good clear out of all the plants murdered by the cold and pick up all the broken branches littering the lawn. Next, whether you use a rake or a blower, tackle all those piled up leaves and bits of litter – everything looks hugely better after these have gone. If you set the lawnmower blades high, it’ll act as a kind of vacuum cleaner as well as giving a light trim.

Hardy evergreens can also be pruned now, which will spruce them up and make them look much less tatty. Also, tackle those garden climbers – thin them out, and fix any damage to the support structures caused by the high winds and deep freezes.

Start planting now – anything from shrubs, hedging plants, trees, roses and climbers can go into the ground now, and the earth won’t be so water-saturated or frozen, making the work a lot lighter. You could even try planting something to eat later – try shallots or garlic. Painting the garden shed will give your garden a clean look, as well as tidying the garden: it may not hasten Spring, but it’ll put a spring in your step.