We ve been giving the garden a thorough cleaning-up, but don t know what to do with all the rubbish we ve accumulated. Can we just burn it

A.� That depends on where you live and what you are burning. Lots of us love a good bonfire as Bonfire Night bears witness, but they can also be damaging to the environment, health and neighbourly relations.

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A.� If you've got a compost heap the chances are that you are already putting leaves, old bedding plants and weeds on, but many people shy away from putting woody material on.

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If you just sling a pruned or fallen branch or stem on it will take ages to rot down but if you shred it finely it will keep pace with the rest of the heap, adding a bit of drier fibrous material to go with the kitchen waste and grass clippings. If you don't own a shredder, many council's now offer to do it for you at the local dump or recycling centre. You can usually dispose of large tree branches at the local dump as well.

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If you don't have a compost heap or bin some councils offer garden waste disposal services, either at the dump or by buying special green sacks which are collected by the dustmen and then composted. Again, contact your local authority to find out about the range of recycling and disposal options on offer.

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A.� There is nothing to stop you digging material like old bedding plants, vegetable stalks and annual weeds straight back into the ground or into trenches where you are going to plant vegetables that will benefit as they break down.

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However, beware putting anything back into the ground that has been infected by soil-borne diseases such as the dreaded honey fungus or clubroot in vegetables.

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A.� Both need to be disposed of properly. Whatever you do don't tip chemicals down the sink or drain as they could easily end up going straight into your local river or watercourse and killing wildlife. If there is no clear instruction on the packaging, most local authorities have special bays for chemicals at the dump.

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Machinery can be taken to the tip to, but for larger items it might be worth try a breakers yard or, if you have one locally, a recycling scheme that may be able to repair it or use it for spare parts.

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