After the deluge that was the month of June, you must be think I am mad reminding you to water your plants, but containers and baskets with a lot of foliage allow very little rain through to the compost. If your containers are starting to look a little tired, cut some of the plants back, give them a feed and you will get some lush new growth.
Regular dead-heading to prevent the plants going to seed will also prolong the display. Feeding fortnightly with a water-soluble fertilizer will keep your plants flowering all summer long.
Take cuttings of your favourite half-hardy perennials such as pelargoniums, fuchsias, osteospermums and diascias, to save yourself some money next year.
In the borders, keep weeding. A hoe is particularly effective on seedlings and annuals particularly on a hot day. Perennial weeds such as thistles, nettles and docks need digging out or spraying with a weed killer that acts on the roots as well as the foliage.
Dead-head perennials and cut back plants such as geraniums, to encourage a second flush of flowers and some healthy new leaves. Plants with attractive seedheads are worth leaving for some winter interest and as a food source for garden birds.
Roses also benefit from dead-heading but there are some species and varieties that form wonderful hips. Tie in any new growth on climbing and rambling roses.
If you have a greenhouse, keep it as cool as possible on hot days, so as not to stress your plants. Ventilate as much as possible and dampen down the floor regularly. Hopefully you will have fruit developing on your tomatoes but keep an eye out for green and white fly.
In the vegetable garden, there should be plenty to harvest. In particular, keep an eye on the courgettes as these can quickly turn into marrows. There should also be no shortage of potatoes, salads, peas and beetroots.
Climbing beans should be stopped once they have reached the tops of their supports, to encourage the formation of side-shoots and again keep regularly picking them to prevent the pods from becoming stringy.
It is still not too late to sow some carrots, fennel and oriental greens and you can start sowing some crops for next year, such as, spring cabbage and spring onions.
If you grow any soft fruit, you will have been busy picking. Cut down the old canes of summer-fruiting raspberries once they have finished cropping and peg down the runners of strawberry varieties if you want more plants for next year.
And finally, as gardeners are always looking to a better, more productive and more beautiful garden next year, order the bulb catalogues and spend a warm summer evening with a gin and tonic, planning next spring’s spectacular display.
