April’s long weekends and cooler weather make it a splendid time to tackle some garden maintenance projects, writes Helen Young. Take time to sit back and look at your garden with fresh eyes, make plans for winter projects and do a little dreaming...

1 Tend to tools
Clean and sharpen hand tools. Lawnmowers may need servicing and blades sharpening, but this is a job best left for winter. Wash gardening gloves or replace them if they're old. Stow some sunscreen in the same place as your tools, plus an old pair of sunglasses for eye protection.

2 Cull your chemicals
Sort through your pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and spraying equipment. Many older products contain poisons that have been superseded by safer, low-toxicity or organic solutions. Check use-by dates and remove anything with leaky packaging. If you can no longer read the label, out it goes. But don't throw chemicals in the bin. Contact your local council to find out about safe disposal options - many have a special chemicals collection scheme. Check that all sprayers work and are clean. Keep one sprayer just for weedkiller, clearly labelled, and never use it for anything else.

3 Pamper pot plants
Look critically at your potted plants. Move the aged, terminally ill or maimed out of sight, or to the compost heap, and treat yourself to some new plants. Replace any cracked or perished pots. Re-pot any plants that have roots growing out of drainage holes in the bottom of the pot. If roots have grown down into the paving, cut them off and raise the pot up on pot feet or pavers.

4 Edit existing trees
Like children, trees have a habit of growing when we're not looking - suddenly they're much bigger than we thought. Assess each tree to decide whether it's shading other plants too much, blocking light to the lawn or spreading where it shouldn't. Options include removing lower branches to raise the canopy, judiciously pruning some branches to thin out the canopy and even removing the tree altogether. Use a qualified arborist to carry out any tree work, first checking that they have current insurance.

5 Make a tree plan
Shade isn't generally top of mind in autumn but a shady spot to park on and picnic under is a must in summer. Consider planting a shade tree on the nature strip or by the driveway, or on the western side of the house. Deciduous trees provide passive solar benefits for houses and gardens, cooling them considerably in summer yet allowing in the winter sun. Along with their many environmental benefits, trees are also great for screening out neighbouring buildings.

6 Create compost
If you don't have a compost heap, it's time to start one. Autumn leaves, a fantastic source of nutrients and organic matter, will soon be in plentiful supply. Compost is the best product for your garden, and you can make it for free while reducing the amount of waste going to landfill.

7 Rearrange your space
Autumn is a great time to do some rearranging in the garden. The days might be cooler but the soil is still warm. Most evergreen shrubs and perennials, as well as strappy clumping plants, will transplant readily, but leave deciduous plants until they are bare - in winter. Make sure to keep the top of the root ball level with the soil when you replant, and don't let the relocated plants dry out. Seaweed products are an excellent tonic for transplants.

8 Ponder the problem areas
Take a critical look at your garden and make a resolution to improve problem areas. Consider having a consultation with a garden professional; they can suggest custom solutions, provide design ideas and help choose the best plants. Start planning now so any project work can be done during winter, when working conditions in many parts of Australia are better and landscapers are not so busy (or expensive). Then you'll be ready to plant at the start of spring.

9 Divide and conquer
Clumping, strappy-leafed plants such as agapanthus, clivia, day lily, liriope and iris can become congested, making them look messy and flower poorly. This is the best time to dig them up, and you don't have to be gentle about it. Put half the plant back to regrow and use the excess elsewhere. Mondo grass edging also spreads too widely over time; use a sharp spade to redefine the edge and lift out the excess. If you have leftover clumps, offer them to friends.

10 Protect your pond
Check and clean the pump and filter. Trim off dead foliage from plants in and around the pond. If floating plants are covering the pond surface too thickly after their summer growth, scoop some out and add these to the compost heap. Stretch a net over the pond to catch falling leaves.