Many lettuces will make it through to December before botrytis or frost gets them as will the hardier stuff such as oriental mustards, Swiss chard, kales and cabbages. However, as they soldier on their flavour will become more intense as the days become colder.

By February many of the oriental mustards, such as Giant Red Mustard, becomes so hot that they blow your head off if you eat them raw. At this point it's best to flash cook them; 60 seconds in boiling water or swirl them round a wok of hot oil, just enough to wilt them. Then off the heat as the chemicals that make them hot quickly become bitter if cooked for too long. Drizzle on some groundnut oil and a little soy, perhaps add a little friendly garlic, some toasted sesame seeds, a handful of noodles and you have lunch!

Anyhow, I shouldn't be thinking about noodles as I have a small mountain of ground cherries to de-husk and do something with. These are cousins to the larger more common and slightly more sour-tasting tomatillos which definitely need to be cooked. Ground cherries are good enough to eat raw, but their delicious pineapple taste is almost better in a pie or crumble. You can tell when a ground cherry is ripe because the inside is a lovely pale golden orange and the husks are papery. If the inside is still green it will be very sour.

I've been experimenting making clafoutis, which is a kind of egg-cooked custard dish where you can use any fruit you like. It's basically eggs, sugar, milk and a little flour. You line the dish with whatever fruit, in my case ground cherries, and pour over the batter and bake in a hot oven for about 20mins. When it puffs up take it out, pour on a little more sugar and place under the grill. You're aiming for a soufflé consistency which is kind of eggy, so if that's not your thing, stick to crumbles.

I have to say I was entirely neglectful of the ground cherries. I planted them out towards the end of May and did little all summer other than bemoan the fact that I had misunderstood what ground cherries were, thinking they were just a synonym of tomatillos. They're not, they are a different species, tomatillos are Physalis ixocarpa and Mexican Ground Cherry is Physalis prunosa. They have furrier leaves and smaller fruit, and I think they probably like slightly warmer weather - not that I didn't get a good harvest, they just seem very small.

I think that a gardens success is down to knowing where you're heading and making sure it works for whoever ultimately lives with it and maintains it. Call it planning, call it looking ahead, call it design, call it practicality, call it whatever you want, but without it I know that creating a garden can become frustrating.

I've always been passionate about design and tried to get across that this planning stage is so important in gardening in order to avoid wasted effort and expense, which in turn can lead to a sense of failure. Playing around with ideas on paper is free, but as soon as you start to buy materials and plants it starts to get a little more serious.

I hope that I showed how simple and accessible this process can be whether you're thinking of designing a garden from scratch or simply tweaking one you already have.

N. bowdenii is the hardiest but the larger 'Zeal Giant' has been a revelation. It's usually grown in a greenhouse but I thought I'd take a chance with it outdoors, in the gravelly sun-soaked border next to my greenhouse. Since September, it's been in flower with larger, taller trumpets than the species, up to 60cm high. I love the colour - a stronger cerise-pink which really glows even amongst the serious competition of tangerine coloured zinnia and the raspberry cactus dahlia 'Matilda Huston'.

The key to keeping them through the winter is to keep the bulbs on the dry side, so my plan is to cover the died-down clump with a heavy glass cloche to shed the rain and ensure these floral fireworks make a return next autumn.

On tonight's action packed finale Toby will be clearing out the summer bedding, transplanting wallflowers and potting up plants for winter.

Alys will be joined by Colin Crosbie from the RHS and they'll both be giving the low down on the latest tree and shrub planting techniques and Joe will be demonstrating the best methods for sharpening your garden tools. We'll also be revealing the winner of this year's BBC Gardener of the Year.

Now even though the main run of Gardeners' World comes to an end tonight we have some exciting shows coming your way over the coming months. Two to watch out for are Women in Gardening, due to air on 27th November and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, due to be aired on 4th December.

Women in Gardening with Carol Klein will be looking back at those special women who defied convention in order to follow their passion for horticulture. Her journey includes interviews with some of our most influential gardening figures of the past 50 years including: Beth Chatto, garden writer and designer, Marina Christopher, pioneering nursery woman, Mary Spiller, the first female presenter on Gardeners' World and Inga Grimsby, who was the first woman to be appointed head of the Royal Horticultural Society between 2006 and 2009.

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen tells the story of seven disparate gentlemen, brought together for the first time in 1804 above a bookshop in Piccadilly to form a society dedicated to the one and only thing they all agreed on - a love of horticulture. They were all extreme personalities; a domineering aristocrat, a womanising MP and an accused fraudster to name but a few. As individuals they were far more likely to fall out than collaborate but their love of gardening was so strong that together, against all the odds, they formed a society which was to become the most celebrated in the gardening world - The Royal Horticultural Society.

That's all from me for this run, enjoy your winter gardening.

• Anemanthele lessoniana
• Hakonechloa macra 'Japanese forest grass'
• Miscanthus sinensis 'Chinese silver grass'
• Miscanthus sinensis 'Flamingo'
• Miscanthus sinensis 'Malepartus'
• Molinia caerulea subsp. arundinacea 'Transparent'
• Molinia caerulea subsp. caerulea 'Edith Dudszus'
• Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Redhead'

Tonight we'll be revealing the fourth finalist for BBC Gardener of the Year. Next week, after the final finalist is revealed you'll all be able to start voting for your favourite gardener.
That's all for now, enjoy your gardening weekend.

For some spring colour and to provide some early Bee grub, Toby will be planting a succession of Alliums in the Bee Border also;

• A. 'Purple Sensation': appear in summer, showing off rounded heads full of deep violet flowers. These alliums are perfect for a sunny border. It is best to remove the immature seed-heads as the seedlings tend to have paler flowers. (AGM)
• A. schubertii: real stunner with round flower-heads measuring 30cm (1ft) wide, which resemble the starburst of a firework. The stems that pop out of the inner globe are thought to aid propagation by propelling the seed-heads.
• Allium cristophii: blockbuster with large purple heads measuring 20cm (8in) wide. These make superb cut flowers and have an almost metallic sheen on the stout stems, which reach knee height. Best placed in the spaces between border perennials to disguise its dying foliage. (AGM).
• A. sphaerocephalon: small, 2.5cm (1in) wide, pink to reddish-brown drumstick on long wiry stems. The flowers are densely packed and remain in bloom for many weeks.

Tonight's programme will also see Joe bringing back some mad colour combinations inspired by Trentham Gardens. Carol enthuses about the gorgeous Rudbeckias and Asters currently filling her Devon garden with colour. And we have a look at contestant number 3 in our Gardener of the year competition. We even have 2 seasonal culinary suggestions to add a little sweetness to your weekend!

Growing tips

Site and soil preferences

Alliums add impact to early summer borders and can be dried for winter decoration. They come in a wonderful range of colours including purple, buttercup yellow, pinks, white and shades of cornflower blue.

Alliums are extremely easy to grow, invariably needing a place in full sun right at the front of a border.

In the wild, alliums often grow in poor, stony ground and they don't need pampering in the garden. Average soil is fine, but it must be free-draining.

Alliums in pots

Even gardeners with tiny gardens can grow alliums in containers. Always use a reasonably deep container, especially for larger varieties. Plant at three times the depth of the bulb in well-drained compost (this also applies when planting in the open ground).
The container plants will need repotting into fresh compost every year, but you don't need to do any more than this. They shouldn't require extra feeding, either, as long as their foliage is left to die back naturally. This enables them to build up energy for the following year. Like some other bulbs, they're naturally long-lived and survive for years if left undisturbed.

With large drumstick alliums, the dying foliage can be disguised behind a few pots of bushy annuals or a clipped box for a more formal look.

Tonight's show is packed with topical information about taking late summer cuttings, planting bulbs for early spring flowers and forcing bulbs for winter, and Toby will be demonstrating the best methods of planting a variety of bulbs throughout the borders and beds at Greenacre.

• Plant spring-flowering bulbs in early autumn, preferably by the end of September (when many established bulbs are beginning to develop new roots). Tulips are the exception to this rule and are best planted in November. Plant summer-flowering bulbs in early spring and autumn-flowering by late summer.
• Most bulbs are acquired and planted when dry i.e. in a dormant, leafless, rootless state. Plant as soon as possible. They may flower poorly following late planting or a lengthy storage.
• Most hardy bulbs are from dry summer climates and prefer a warm sunny site with good drainage. Bulbs from cool, moist woodland habitats need similar garden conditions. Soil conditions are important. Most bulbs have only a short period in leaf before dying back. Improve light or sandy soils with humus, incorporated below bulb depth; improve drainage on heavy soils with sharp grit or sand.
• Plant in groups. Excavate a hole to the required planting depth. Fork in some bone meal then space them about twice the bulb's own height apart. Carefully replace the soil and firm down. Plant to two or three times bulb height i.e. the tip of a 5cm (2in) high bulb should be 10-15cm (4-6in) below soil level.

Also on tonight's show Alys will be showing us all how to make some quick and easy Christmas gifts using bulbs and you can read more about this on her blog.
We'll be visiting Carol at Glebe Cottage where she'll be celebrating the autumn stunner that is, Cyclamen hederifolium and we'll be following the charming trail of the Weardale daffodil, where the persistent villagers of Weardale, in County Durham have tracked down their local variety after years in the wilderness.
That's all for now, enjoy your gardening weekend.

My love of tea doesn't just stop at winning over the American workforce but to teapots, tea caddies, tea cosies, teaspoons and teacups. I love all things tea related (apart from tea puns) and have amassed too many junk shop finds over the years. I am no competition though for our researcher, Russell Jordan,who has an uncanny ability to source late fifties tea cups, or Russian sixties print tea sets, at a moment's notice. Together we've been hatching a plan for all those lost cups with no saucers, that lone seventies graphic print mug and that half set left getting dusty in the corner.

One diamond-coated drill bit and a cordless drill later, you've got a perfect vessel and saucer for growing pretty things in.

Hyacinths, paperwhite narcissi and scented crocus can all be forced ahead of the game so that you can enjoy some early spring in January. A little cheer for the windowsill, or beside your desk at work, all housed in a perfectly pretty teacup.

How to do it:

Crocus and paperwhites

Drill a single hole in the bottom of a bone china teacup. You will need a '10mm diamond coated tile cutting drill bit' (around £4 from a DIY shop). Fill the bottom of the teacup with just a little water (5mls is about right) to keep the bit cool. Place it on a non-slip surface which won't matter if the bit goes through. You'll have to 'rough up' the bottom a little with the bit at slow speed. Once the bit bites (so to speak) increase the drilling speed and push on through.

Please wear safety glasses whilst doing this.

Now fill the cup with well-drained mixture of compost and grit. I ended up using coir and grit which has virtually no nutrient content, but this doesn't matter as the bulb has all it needs to flower stored up from last year. You're just going to race ahead the flowering period and then once they're over, pop them into the garden to naturalise and spread. For this reason you can slightly over pack them for a better display.

Crocus will need to be kept in a cold frame (which is just protected enough to speed things up) and brought indoors just as they come into flower. Watch out for mice.

It makes sense to do a few bulbs each week for a succession of indoor flowers and scent.

Sweet smelling Paperwhites, Narcissus papyraceus, can be done in much the same way. Choose the biggest cups as they do better in slightly deeper containers and aim for perhaps just one bulb per cup, maybe two. They will take about six weeks to flower if kept indoors. Water them in well and don't ever let the bulb dry out, but don't let them sit in water.

As well as paperwhites you can also try small daffodil cultivars such as "Tete-a-tete" and "Jumblie". Both will have to be started off in a cold frame and then moved slowly from cold to warm conditions; say from the cold frame to a porch and eventually into a heated room.

Hyacinths will flower indoors after the paperwhites finish flowering, you need prepared hyacinths that are available in garden centres now. For them to flower in time you have to buy 'prepared' bulbs. These have been conditioned so that they already think "spring is soon" and will initiate flowering as soon as they have heat and water.

The choice is yours whether you choose to add drainage. You can drill a hole through the tea cup and set the bulb in compost with lots of grit or not. If you don't drill a hole then you have to be careful not to drown it with water. I've gone down two routes as an experiment. I filled two Victorian jelly moulds with grit and nothing else. The hyacinths just sit on the grit and I've made sure the water doesn't rise to the top. I could have been a bit kinder and put some compost in for food, but it doesn't look as nice as grit alone. I'm taking a considered gamble that they have enough stored energy to flower on. I also created little chicken wire cages for the bulbs to sit on in the water-filled tea cups and disguised the wire with moss that I raked up from the lawn. I've only used one bulb per cup.

For the next 10-12 weeks the tea cups and jelly moulds will be kept in the coldframe on a north facing wall. To keep the light out I've placed them in a trug with an upturned trug on top. The temperature needs to be 7-9° C. Different varieties respond to different periods in cool darkness. You have to play it a little by eye. When the flower shoots are 2-3cm high bring the bulbs into the light but keep them somewhere cool (a covered porch, a windowsill in the shed). Check the water levels. Once the flower spike begins to colour bring the bulbs into the warmth to enjoy the flowers. The flowers will need staking with little twigs as they come into flower. The warmer your house the quicker the flower will go over.

Once they have finished flowering, plant the bulbs out in the garden to die back naturally. It may take them a little time to adjust to life outside, but they will.

• Before going to the garden centre, think about your colour scheme and how you want to use your bulbs. Will you be planting them in a drift, for example, or in a container? This will affect how many you need to buy.
• At the garden centre, you'll find that most of the bulbs are sold in perforated bags. Take the time to inspect these before you buy, rejecting any bags with bulbs that feel soft or have started to sprout. Some varieties may also be sold loose. These are much easier to check over. Choose the plumpest and biggest with no signs of damage or disease. The papery skin of daffodils, tulips and alliums helps to protect against drying and surface damage. Ideally, these skins should be still intact when you buy them.
• At home, store your bulbs in a cool, dry place. If you have bought tulips or a big bag of daffodils, empty these out onto a flat surface to prevent them going mouldy.
• Spring bulbs are best planted in September and October when weather conditions allow. The earlier you get them in, the greater your chances of getting a good display. Tulips are the one exception, however. Because they are so prone to a disease called tulip fire, it pays to wait until late October or November when they are less likely to be attacked.

That's all for now, enjoy your gardening weekend.