WHETHER you're digging, cutting back, planting bulbs or trimming hedges, we select the right tools for autumn tasks.

What are the must-have tools for autumn jobs? There's an array of leaf blowers, rakes, spades, forks and hand tools on offer, but what shouldn't you be without as you take on new season tasks?

With help from Louise Golden, gardening expert at Dobbies Garden Centres, these are the right tools for the right jobs...

1. Winter digging - You'll need a good fork to break up the ground and a good spade to clear any old, dusty soil before adding a good dose of organic matter such as compost or well-matured manure to the area.

2. Clearing leaves - Clear away leaves from pathways and patios before they become too soggy to rake and make the ground really slippery.

If you can bear a slightly less pristine garden, leave leaves in your borders, which act as a mulch and can help protect overwintering creatures.

3. Planting bulbs - "Planting spring flowering bulbs is a major autumn task, and so a handy tool to use is a bulb planter," says Golden. "They make light work of the task and speed up the process, particularly when planting lots of bulbs to naturalise in grass."

Now's a good time to plant narcissi, crocuses and hyacinths.

4. Hedge trimming - "Early autumn is the perfect time to trim evergreen hedges and shrubs for a neat finish that will remain crisp all winter long," says Golden. "Hedging shears are ideal, whether hand, electric or motor, depending on the size of the task in hand."

If you've followed RSPB advice not to cut hedges between March and August - the main breeding season for nesting birds - now may be a good time to tidy up hornbeam, beech, Leyland cypress and thuja hedges. Fast-growing hedges such as privet or the evergreen honeysuckle can also be cut now, but no later than the end of September.

5. Pruning - "The end of summer is when we should think about tidying the border by cutting back spent perennials," says Golden. "A good pair of secateurs will do the trick, and you don't need to break the bank to get cracking."

You'll need a good set of cutting tools for clipping overgrown shrubs and perennials which have finished flowering.