Everything is starting to look mushy in the garden this month after the heavy rain.While you don’t need to be too tidy, it is a good idea to cut back plants that have become overgrown or are starting to decay.Put on your oldest clothes and don a pair of heavy-duty gardening gloves that you don’t mind getting messy.If one plant has taken over your borders – in my case it’s the common garden cranesbill which has gone rampant in the wet weather – pull out what you don’t want to make space for new plants. Pick up leaves that have fallen on paths and lawns before they become a slip hazard or suffocate the grass. It is a good idea to cut back plants that have become overgrown or are starting to decayUse a leaf rake and a grabber, or two sheets of plywood, to gather the leaves up and add them to your compost heap.Mix this with woody material to aerate it. While it is too early to give roses a full prune, you can cut off heavy top growth to prevent wind damage.Clearing the garden in this way lets in light and air and allows you to see what you have more clearly.You can then mulch around plants to help nourish and protect them over winter.CARE FOR CANNAS NOW Cannas are tender perennials and can’t withstand hard frosts. Once the tops start to wither, it is time to prepare them for winterCannas are tender perennials and can’t withstand hard frosts. Once the tops start to wither, it is time to prepare them for winter. If you live in a mild part of the UK, you might get away with leaving the rhizomes if you cover them in mulch. In colder areas, lift them, cut foliage back to 15cm, shake off soil and store somewhere dry and frost-free and plant out in spring.BEST APPLES TO HARVEST Golden Delicious and Granny Smiths can be picked laterIf you still have apples on your tree, gather them in the first half of the month. Popular varieties for October include Blenheim Orange, Bramley’s Seedling, Charles Ross, Cox’s Orange Pippin, Falstaff, Gala, Howgate Wonder, Jonagold, Lane’s Prince Albert, and Spartan. Golden Delicious and Granny Smiths can be picked later. If you have a glut, wrap them individually in newspaper and store in a cool garage, or you can freeze them.READER’S QUESTIONWhat are the holes that have appeared all over my lawn?Martin Pritchard, BathIt sounds as though you might have an ­infestation of leatherjackets, the larvae of cranefly which look like short fat worms.They thrive in wet autumns such as the one we are having. The holes, which are about the size of a 50p piece, are created by birds pecking down to eat the grubs.To check if you have them, lay a black plastic sheet or tarpaulin over your lawn overnight. In the morning, you’ll find them on the underside. They feed on plant roots, so you do need to get rid of them if possible.The best option is to treat your grass with nematodes designed specifically to combat leatherjackets. PLANT OF THE WEEK: CYCLAMEN HEDERIFOLIUM Cyclamen prefer moist, nutrient rich soil in partial shade. They can also be grown in pots – add extra grit and leafmould to the compostOne of the delights of autumn is carpets of pink cyclamen. They also grow well under trees where little else will flourish. Award-winning Cyclamen hederifolium has large attractive flowers in shades of pink which appear before the leaves. The foliage is heart-shaped and bears a strong resemblance to that of ivy, giving the plant its botanical name (Hedera is Latin for ivy). Cyclamen prefer moist, nutrient rich soil in partial shade. They can also be grown in pots – add extra grit and leafmould to the compost.