At this time of year the garden should be looking great, with plenty of seasonal colour and interest. Hopefully, with more warm sunny evenings on their way, it will allow plenty of time in which to relax and enjoy the garden.

Although there are plenty of jobs to do this month, these can be undertaken at a more leisurely pace.

Flowers

• Stake taller perennials;
• Feed, water and deadhead bedding plants and repeat-flowering perennials, to ensure continuous flowering;
• Cut back early summer perennials, such as hardy geraniums and delphiniums, after flowering for a second flush;
• Deadhead roses regularly and feed to keep them flowering strongly;
• Give dahlias a liquid feed and keep them well watered;
• Water and feed sweet peas regularly, pick the flowers every few days, and remove seed pods to prolong flowering;
• Look out for pests such as lily beetles, snails, aphids and vine weevils, and remove them before they do much harm;
• Sow biennials, such as foxgloves, honesty, forget-me-nots and wallflowers for colour next year;
• Plant autumn bulbs such as nerines and colchicums in pots and borders;

Fruit and Veg

• Water fruit trees and bushes, then lay a thick mulch of garden compost around their base to hold in moisture;
• Check crops such as runner beans regularly for aphids, and rub or wash them off straight away, before they multiply;
• Cover brassicas with fine netting to prevent cabbage white butterflies laying their eggs on the leaves;
• Peg down strawberry runners into pots of compost to root new plants;
• Pick courgettes regularly so they don’t turn into marrows;
• Sow small batches of fast-maturing salad leaves, rocket and radishes every few weeks for continuous pickings;
• Cut down broad beans after harvesting, but leave the roots in the soil to release nitrogen as they decompose;

Greenhouse

• Keep well ventilated – open doors and roof windows and apply shading if necessary;
• Continue pinching out any side-shoots growing from the leaf joints of cordon tomatoes;
• Water tomatoes daily to prevent drying out, which can lead to split fruits and blossom end rot;
• Feed tomatoes, chillies and cucumbers with high-potash tomato fertiliser every week to encourage fruiting;
• Train the main stem of cucumbers up supports and pinch out side-shoots two leaves after a flower or fruit;

Garden maintenance

• • Hoe and hand-weed borders often, in order that weeds won’t have time to set seed;
  • Top up bird baths, ponds and water features during hot weather;
  • Water new trees, shrubs and perennials planted in spring, to help them through dry spells;
  • Keep mowing lawns regularly, but raise the cutting height to leave the grass longer during dry weather;
  • Water hanging baskets and patio containers daily, in the morning or evening is preferable;
  • Deadhead bedding plants, sweet peas and annuals every few days to encourage more flowers;
  • Trim lavender after flowering to keep plants compact and bushy, but avoid cutting into old wood;

There are also some lovely inspiring gardens to visit at this time of year.

Wakehurst Place, West Sussex
Nymans, West Sussex
RHS Wisley, Woking, Surrey
Kew Gardens, Richmond, Surrey