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Sow seeds of cucumbers, tomatoes, aubergines and peppers to raise summer cropsWater compost with a suitable pesticide where vine weevils have been discoveredSow summer bedding plants, such as petunias, geranium, verbena and busy LizzieTake cuttings

Plant out dahlias into well-prepared soil that's been enriched with manureCut down pulmonarias to just above soil level after flowering to encourage new foliageClip box hedging and topiary to keep it neatRegularly tie tall stems of delphiniums

or perennialsSpread a thick mulch of bark over the crown of tender plants, such as fuchsias, dahlias and cannasPrune summer-flowering clematis, cutting stems back to emerging buds close to soil level

Sow sweet peas in deep pots and pinch out shoot tips once two pairs of leaves have developedCut back old stems of mallow (Lavatera) to ground level, taking care not to harm new shootsPlant hedging plantsPrune down stems of dogwoods, willows, cotinus

patchHow to mow a lawn effectivelyHow to cut a clean lawn edgeBrowse a selection of grass varietiesView plants by soil type

effectivelyHow to cut a clean lawn edgeBrowse a selection of grass varietiesView plants by soil type

Nesting female bees cut out immediately obvious elliptical shapes from the edges of a leaf to make their cells for laying eggs. Since one female might need 20 or so cells, that's a lot of leaf cutting, particularly when the bee keeps returning

piles of flowerpots and debrisRaise patio containers on feet or bricksAvoid walking on lawns covered with heavy frostAround the gardenCut back ornamental miscanthus grassTrim back ivy and Virginia creeper Clear away dead foliage from perennials

and topiaryCut laurel hedgesAround the gardenMake earwig traps with straw in upturned pots on canesPrune pyracantha and train shoots to supports Prepare soil to plant evergreen shrubsFlowersPrune old fruited stems of raspberries down to soil level Pinch out

Around the gardenTake cuttings from pansies and violasPot up tender perennials grown outside Prune rambling roses after floweringFlowersFinish summer pruning trained apple and pear treesHarvest apples, pears, plums and gages as they ripenSave seeds from varieties