Although this is traditionally the holiday season, it is important to keep on top of some of the routine garden jobs, such as deadheading, weeding and watering. This could be another dry month in which case watering is essential.

Here is a list of jobs to carry out this month.

Flowers

• Summer prune wisteria after flowering by removing all the whippy side-shoots from the main branch framework to about five leaves from the main stem;
• Prune rambling roses after flowering;
• Trim lavender once the flowers have faded to maintain a compact, bushy shape, but avoid cutting into old wood;
• Deadhead roses, dahlias and perennials to encourage a constant display of flowers;
• Feed and regularly water plants in containers;
• Take cuttings from tender perennials such as pelargoniums, fuchsias and verbena;
• Collect ripening seed from plants such as sweet peas and love-in-a-mist that you wish to propagate;
• Plant autumn bulbs such as colchicums and nerines in pots and borders;
• Start planting early-flowering biennials such as wallflowers which were sown under cover earlier this year;

Fruit and Veg

• Lift and pot up new strawberry plants, and keep them well watered;
• Pick courgettes regularly so they don’t turn into marrows;
• Divide clumps of chives;
• Ensure that your fruit crops aren’t eaten by the birds by covering them with bird netting, or individual mesh fruit covers, ensuring netting/mesh stands well clear of the fruit;

Greenhouse

• Water and feed tomatoes regularly, and remove lower leaves to allow the fruits to ripen;
• Be vigilant for signs of tomato and potato blight, removing affected plants immediately to prevent spread;
• Pinch out the tops of outdoor tomatoes, as further flowers are unlikely to produce fruits that have time to ripen;

Garden Maintenance

• Make sure birds have water in dry spells;
• It’s best to avoid mowing your lawn during continued hot and dry weather. If the grass has stopped growing or turned brown, cutting it adds severe stress and can damage the roots;
• Strim or mow areas of wildflower meadow, now that the plants have scattered their seeds;
• Clear weeds from cracks in paving and driveways before they get established;
• Now is the time to look at your borders and note any gaps or congested areas that you’ll want to rectify later on in the year;
• Order spring-flowering bulbs now as stock of the more popular varieties may not be available later in the season. You can start planting bulbs such as narcissi, alliums and crocus from September. Leave planting of tulips to later in November to help prevent problems such as tulip fire, as soils are colder and fungal spores are less likely to spread;

Missed the Chelsea Chop? Embrace the Hampton Hack!

If you missed the window for the Chelsea Chop in May, don’t worry! That handy technique, timed with the Chelsea Flower Show, helps extend the flowering season of herbaceous plants.

But it’s not too late to give your garden a boost. You can rejuvenate tired July borders by using the Hampton Hack. This method usually coincides with the Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival and is perfect for revitalising your plants now.

Shrubs that respond well to the Hampton hack include:

Philadelphus
Weigela
Helianthemums

These can all take quite tough mid-summer pruning, which will prolong their life and stop them from becoming unattractively untidy or too big for their boots.

Herbaceous plants:

Alchemilla mollis
Astrantias
Herbaceous Geraniums
Nepeta

The degree of cutting back is specific to each species, but the closer to the flowering time you prune, the greater the delay in flowering. Doing the ‘Hampton Hack’ can delay the flowering of perennials by four to six weeks. You can either prune all the stems on a clump, which delays all the flowers, or just half of them, which spreads the plant’s flowering over a longer period. This can have some positive results:

The plants are not so tall and leggy
They need less staking
The flowers are smaller but more numerous

This happens because the removal of the top shoots enables the side shoots to branch out (the top shoots would normally inhibit the side shoots by producing hormones in a process called apical dominance). Using this method, along with regular feeding and watering, ensures beds and borders look tidy throughout summer.

After Lupins and Delphiniums have finished flowering, chop them down to about 30 cm in height, apply a mulch around their base and give them a generous drink of water. They’ll start back into growth again and may produce additional, smaller flowers on shorter stems later on in the year, and you’ll have new foliage to look at instead of a yellowing mess.

June is a turning point in the garden. While we enjoy the arrival of summer colour, it’s also a vital time for maintenance. From deadheading to supporting those fast-growing perennials. Here are a few tasks to keep on top of at this time of the year:

Flowers

• Stake plants that are prone to flopping.
• Continue planting summer bedding in pots and borders, watering them regularly to help plants establish quickly.
• Tie in new stems of climbing and rambling roses horizontally to supports, which will encourage more flowers.
• Give a liquid feed to pots and hanging baskets every few weeks to encourage flowering.
• Prune late-spring or early-summer shrubs after flowering, such as Kerria and Philadelphus, and thin out any older stems.

Fruit and veg

• Plant out sweetcorn after hardening off, arranging plants in blocks to assist with pollination.
• Cover ripening fruits with netting or fleece to protect them from hungry birds.
• Water vegetables and fruit in containers regularly, especially during dry sunny weather.
• Go on regular snail and slug hunts, especially on damp evenings, to reduce numbers.
• Apply tomato feed regularly to fruiting vegetable crops, including tomatoes, courgettes, and chillies.

Greenhouse

• Sow biennials such as foxgloves and wallflowers in seed trays.
• Shade greenhouses to keep temperatures down on hot days and open vents and doors on warm days. Damping down your greenhouse on hot days will help with increasing humidity.
• Sow herbs such as coriander, parsley and basil in pots to grow on the kitchen windowsill.
• Pinch out the side shoots of cordon tomatoes regularly and apply a weekly feed.
• Water plants daily in warm weather, ideally in the evening or early morning. Avoid splashing the foliage, as sunlight can burn leaves with water sitting on them.
• Introduce biological controls to the greenhouse if you have pests such as whitefly or red spider mites.
• Harden off hanging baskets and pots of summer bedding that have been growing in the greenhouse.
• If your strawberries need a little help ripening, bring them into the warmth of the greenhouse. This will also protect them against bird, slug and snail damage.

Garden maintenance

• Keep weeding and dead-heading plants to ensure your borders stay looking at their best.
• Continue watering any new plants until they’re well established.
• Water newly laid lawn regularly, for at least the first month.
• Before starting any trimming or pruning tasks, check hedges and shrubs for nesting birds so that you don’t disturb them.
• Treat pots with vine weevil control if you’ve previously had problems with this pest. The larvae become active this month, feeding on plant roots, particularly in pots, and the adults feed on the leaves.
• Dig out perennial weeds such as dandelions as soon as you spot them.
• Feed lawns with a liquid or granular lawn fertiliser.
• Remove pond weed as it can quickly get out of control as the weather gets warmer.
• Place houseplants outside for the summer in a warm, sheltered spot to enjoy the fresh air and extra light.

May in the Garden: Preparing for a Summer of Splendour
Spring is now in full swing, and the garden is in a beautiful state of transition. As the last of the spring bulbs gracefully fade, they pass the baton to our eagerly awaited summer blooms, a subtle hint of the glorious colours yet to unfold.

This is the definitive moment to invest time in rewarding garden tasks. By tending to your outdoor space now, you are setting the stage for a thriving, resilient, and beautiful growing season.

Flowers

• Deadhead tulips, daffodils and other spring bulbs and feed with a liquid fertiliser to encourage a good display next spring;
• Remove faded spring bedding such as wallflowers and forget-me-nots and add to the compost bin;
• Do the ‘Chelsea chop’ (which is towards the end of May). Take the secateurs to later-flowering herbaceous perennials such as Sedum’s. Prune about a third of the stems by a third, another third by two thirds. This delays flowering in those stems, and increases the overall flowering season;
• Prune spring shrubs, such as forsythia and Ribes, after flowering to keep them compact;
• Tie in the new shoots of climbing plants such as clematis and honeysuckle to their supports;
• Plant up hanging baskets, but keep them in a greenhouse for a few weeks to in order to establish, before putting them outside;
• Sow some fast-growing annuals to fill in gaps that may appear later in the season;
• Check lilies and fritillaries for lily beetles and their larvae, as they can quickly strip plants of all foliage;
• Pinch out the shoot tips of bedding plants and young annuals to encourage bushier growth.

Fruit and Veg

• Protect crops from carrot fly by covering with horticultural fleece;
• Earth up potatoes, covering the shoots with soil as they appear;
• Reduce snail populations by going on regular evening hunts, especially during damp weather or use the biological alternative – Nemaslug;
• Start sowing dwarf and climbing French beans as well as runner beans directly outdoors in warm weather;
• Thin out seedlings from earlier sowings to ensure you get healthy, strong-growing plants;
• Keep plenty of fleece handy to protect young seedlings if late frosts are forecast.

Greenhouse

• Water crops such as tomatoes, cucumbers and courgettes regularly as the weather starts to warm up;
• Tie the stems of indoor tomatoes to canes as they grow;
• Closely inspect plants for pests and diseases on shoot tips and the underside of leaves. Early prevention is easier than curing an infestation;
• Open doors and vents on warm days and remember to close them in the evening as nights can still be cold;
• Keep pricking out seedlings as soon as they get their first true leaves, to avoid overcrowding and fungal diseases;
• Start to harden off tender plants and bedding, ready for planting outside after the last frost.

Garden maintenance

• As the weather gets warmer, pond weed can quickly get out of control if left, so now is the time to scoop it out;
• Apply nitrogen-rich summer lawn feed to encourage leafy growth.

Spring is finally in evidence as daffodils, tulips and blossom on the trees start to appear. If the weather continues to improve this month, take a few moments to enjoy being outside in your own garden as this could be the month that lifts our spirits and encourages us all to get out into our own gardens.

Flowers

• Sow hardy annuals, such as Marigolds, Poppies, Cosmos etc;
• On warm still days, place seedlings that have been started indoors outside to harden them off. Place them outside during the day, but take them in again later in the day before it gets too cold. Repeat this process for about a week or so for them to acclimatise;
• Protect the new shoots of hostas and other vulnerable plants from slugs and snails;
• Deadhead spring bulbs and bedding so that they don’t waste energy setting seed;
• Sweet peas can now be sown outdoors at the base of supports;
• Spray the new leaves of roses with a fungicide to control mildew, rust and blackspot;
• Prune hydrangeas, cutting back the old stems to a healthy shoot lower down;
• Divide and replant mature clumps of hardy perennials;
• Plant Lily bulbs straight into the ground, adding grit at the bottom of the planting hole for drainage on heavy clay soils.

Fruit and veg

• Plant maincrop potatoes;
• Place cardboard collars around the stems of brassicas to deter cabbage root fly from laying their eggs;
• Sow small batches of salad leaves;
• Sow flowering companions in the veg plot, such as pot marigolds and borage;
• Protect emerging seedlings from slugs and snails;
• Sow fast-growing crops, such as radishes, to make the most of any temporary gaps.

Greenhouse

• Prick out seedlings growing in pots and trays as soon as they produce their first true leaves;
• Transplant greenhouse tomatoes into growing bags or large containers and tie in the stems to supports;
• Plant up hanging baskets and pots with summer bedding, but keep them inside until after the last frost;
• Sow runner beans, French beans, cucumbers, courgettes etc;
• Clean greenhouse glazing to let in as much light as possible;
• Open greenhouse doors and vents on warm days, to improve air circulation.

Garden maintenance

• Place a bag of barley straw in ponds to discourage algae and help keep the water clear;
• Lay turf or sow grass seed to create a new lawn and repair damaged patches;
• Keep on top of annual weeds emerging with a hoe as they grow rapidly at this time of year.
• Only hoe on dry days – this way any weeds that you hoe will die off and wilt quickly;
• Treat moss and weeds in turf with lawn weedkiller, and boost growth with a nitrogen-rich lawn feed.

March is the bridge between winter dormancy and the spring rush. Despite the chilly nights, the garden is starting to stir, and the window for essential prep work is opening. From soil health to early sowings, now is the time to lay the groundwork for a spectacular season ahead.

Flowers

• Finish pruning roses this month to encourage strong new growth.
• This is the last chance to plant bare-root trees, shrubs, roses and fruit trees.
• Prune shrubs with colourful winter stems to their base, such as Cornus and Salix.
• Start to sow hardy annuals outdoors, including poppies, nasturtiums and nigella.
• Plant summer-flowering bulbs such as lilies, begonias and freesias in pots and borders.
• Feed shrubs such as rhododendrons, azaleas and camellias with an ericaceous fertiliser.
• Tidy up borders, removing established and newly-germinating weeds, then mulch generously.
• Scatter general-purpose fertiliser over flowerbeds, around roses, shrubs and hedges, lightly forking it into the soil surface.
• Plant snowdrops in the green to brighten up your winter garden next year.
• Lift and divide established perennial plants now to improve their vigour and create new plants for your garden.
• Trim winter-flowering heathers as the flowers disappear to prevent the plants from becoming leggy.

Fruit and veg

• Sow tomatoes, chillies, sweet peppers, courgettes and aubergines in pots indoors.
• Make the first outdoor sowings of hardy vegetables and protect with cloches or fleece.
• Plant early potatoes.
• Start hoeing vegetable beds as soon as the weather starts to warm up, as weeds will germinate quickly.

Greenhouse

• Take down insulation in the greenhouse once temperatures begin to rise. This will also let in more light.
• Buy bedding plants for growing on to a larger size under glass, or sow your own in a heated propagator.
• Pot up overwintering cannas into fresh compost, water in, then place in a warm spot to encourage them into growth.
• Sow sweet peas in deep pots and keep them frost-free in a greenhouse or indoors on a sunny windowsill.
• Take cuttings from dahlia tubers to raise new plants.
• Open greenhouse vents on sunny days to prevent the humidity from building up.

Garden maintenance

• In mild weather, give the lawn its first cut, with the mower on a high setting.
• Put slug barrier products around the new shoots of hostas and other susceptible perennials.
• Check that tree ties aren’t too tight and that stakes are still firmly anchored in the ground.
• Prune out any wind-damaged branches on trees and shrubs.
• Keep putting out food for garden birds as the breeding season will be getting underway.
• Cut back winter-flowering jasmine to tidy it up and encourage flowers for next year.
• Get rid of slippery patches on the patio and paving by scrubbing with a broom or blasting with a pressure washer.

While winter hasn’t quite let go, the signs of spring are undeniable. With increasing daylight and the first emergence of spring-flowering bulbs, the garden is beginning its annual transformation.

Taking advantage of these early bright spells is key to a successful growing season. Whether you’re tidying borders or planning new displays, now is the perfect time to channel that “new season” energy into prep work. To help you get a head start, here are the essential jobs to tackle this month:

Flowers

• Cut back deciduous ornamental grasses that have been left uncut over the winter before new shoots appear. Cut them back to within a few centimetres of the ground
• Divide large clumps of snowdrops after flowering (commonly referred to as ‘in the green’) and replant to start new colonies
• Prune late summer-flowering clematis, cutting stems back to healthy buds about 30cm from the base
• Divide congested clumps of herbaceous perennials and grasses to make vigorous new plants for free
• Prune winter-flowering shrubs, such as winter-flowering jasmine and heathers, once they’ve finished flowering to encourage new growth for next year’s blooms
• Prune your Wisteria now, cutting back summer side-shoots to 2 or 3 buds
• Plant bare root roses for summer colour
• Prune hybrid tea and floribunda roses, before growth restarts
• Sprinkle slow-release fertiliser around the base of roses and other flowering shrubs

Fruit and veg

• Finish pruning apple trees and pear trees whilst they are still dormant
• Protect blossom on apricots, nectarines and peaches
• Chit potato tubers, standing them in trays (I use empty egg boxes) in a light, frost-free place
• Prepare veg beds for sowing by covering them with a thick mulch of organic matter and then covering over with a sheet to enable the ground to warm up
• Check empty pots that may be harbouring any overwintering snails

Greenhouse

• Sow sweet peas in deep pots and keep them in a frost-free environment (I use toilet rolls for this). If you planted any sweet peas in autumn, now is the time to pot them on and pinch them out to encourage side shoots
• Sow tender crops such as tomatoes and chillies in a heated propagator or on a warm sunny windowsill
• Plant dahlia tubers in trays to encourage shoots to develop, which you can then use as cuttings
• Wash greenhouse glazing inside and out to let in as much light as possible

Garden maintenance

• If we are unlucky enough to have any further snowfall, knock it off evergreen shrubs, hedges and conifers to prevent any branches from snapping under the weight
• Improve the soil by spreading organic matter over beds
• Clear away old plant debris from pond margins and scoop out any leaves that have fallen into the water
• Clean and service mowers and garden power tools, so they’re in good order for spring
• As roses are hungry plants, spread a layer of well-rotted manure around them, and they’ll repay you later on in the year