Lettuces are thought of as a summer vegetable, but the seed of some hardy types, such as the old French variety Merveille des Quatre Saisons, can be sown under cloches or under glass to make slow growth until longer days and more sunshine return.
Think ahead to next spring and improve the quality of heavy, clay-based soil by digging it roughly, so different levels are exposed to winter frosts, winds, rain and sun.
There is a good case for mixing vegetables with flowers to get the best production from gardens, especially those that lose the sun early. This is particularly true for south-facing properties or gardens overshadowed by high trees.
In all but the coolest areas, radishes sown now will not thrive, tending to bolt to seed, even when the soil is kept moist, and those that do mature will be unacceptably sharp in flavour.
Keeping the soil hoed not only keeps down weed seedlings but also gives vegetables an effective mulch of broken soil that prevents loss of moisture lower down in the ground.