The long winter months present the ideal opportunity for gardeners to tidy up their equipment in preparation for the following spring, according to Gardening Which?

Ceri Thomas, editor of the magazine, advised gardeners to bring tools and equipment indoors to protect it from frost and bad weather conditions.

She also said that giving your gardening equipment a good service will ensure that it is in perfect working condition by the time you want to use it.

Ms Thomas said: "It's definitely a good idea to bring everything like that indoors. It's a good chance to clean it all up - with lawnmowers you often get all the clippings and gack stuck to the blades. Scraping things off with a piece of wood works well.

"It's also a good chance to sharpen blades, because that makes things like lawnmowers and secateurs a lot more efficient when you come to use them again next spring."

For seasonal gardening tips, go to Gardening Calendar.