There are plenty of things you can do in the garden in autumn to make sure it will thrive in the seasons ahead.

1. Autumn is a great time to make new plants from cuttings. Take 10cm cuttings from hardwood herbs such as rosemary and bay or natives such as banksias, grevillea and coastal rosemary. Remove the lower leaves, dip cuttings into hormone powder and pot in small containers of premium potting mix. Keep just moist and shelter from strong wind and sun.

2. Trim hedges before the onset of winter to keep them compact and bushy from ground level.

3. Check your lawn and make sure any weeds you sprayed last month are dying. Repeat the treatment if necessary.

4. Aerate the grass with a garden fork and scatter lime lightly over it. This will help to make the lawn more lush and green.

5. Rejuvenate tired lawns with an autumn feeding to ready them for the onset of cool winter weather.

6. Fertilise the garden with an organic fertiliser, either water it in well or do it when you know you will get some good rain soon after.

7. Mulch around your garden to hold in moisture and keep weeds at bay.

8. Check for borer damage on all deciduous trees, paying attention to the trunk at soil level. It is much easier to check when trees are dormant and bare.

9. Autumn conditions are perfect for planting many Australian native trees and shrubs like bottlebrush, grevillea, banksia, lilly pilly and tea tree. There are loads of options available, ranging from ground covers and hedging plants to varieties suitable for growing in smaller pots and containers.

10. Plant bulbs for freesias, tulips and daffodils to enjoy the beautiful flowers in late winter and spring. Seeds of annual flowers can be sown in autumn and will also produce beautiful blooms in late winter and spring.

11. As for the edibles - healthy favourites like kale, cabbage, broccoli, onions, lettuce, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, beetroot and silverbeet are great for growing over the cooler months. And if you plant herbs like coriander, rocket, chives and parsley from seed or seedlings in autumn, it will help to make sure you have delicious homegrown herbs for months to come.