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Sow hardy annuals in borders for earlier flowers next summerPrune tall rose bushes and standard roses to reduce wind rockPinch out sweet pea seedling tips for bushier plants and more flowers next year

Cut late-summer-flowering clematis right down to soil levelDivide congested clumps of perennials such as asters, campanulas, rudbeckias and chrysanthemums after floweringPlant bare-rooted rosesDig up and compost exhausted summer beddingPlant out

Plant lily bulbs in pots for colourful summer displaysPrune shrub roses to low new shootsCut back overgrown honeysuckle stems close to their base, just above new shootsTrim back old shoots of perennials left for winter interest, taking care not to damage emerging new growthPrune ...

setting seed, and to keep plants looking tidyWater hanging baskets and pots of summer-flowering bedding plants. Never let compost completely dry out or it can be very difficult to re-wet

Cut back ornamental miscanthus grass before new shoots start developingTrim back ivy and Virginia creeper from around windows and gutteringClear away dead foliage from perennials, chop it up and add to the compost heapRemove weeds from borders, and dig deeply to sieve out roots o...

Plant crocuses, fritillaries and dwarf narcissus in lawns Plant up patio pots for autumn interestLift gladioli, clean the corms and store them in a shed or garagePrune rambling and climbing roses, and shorten long shoots on standard rosesPlant spring bedding, including wallflower...

Plant out spring bedding, including pansies, wallflowers and forget-me-notsPot up tender perennials from summer displays to bring under cover for winter protectionPrune rambling and climbing rosesRake autumn leaves from lawns and pick out from around border plantsCut down annuals...

Cut down willows and dogwoods to their base to promote strong new canes Finish taking hardwood cuttings from shrubs, trees and rosesPlant bare-root roses, hedging, trees and shrubsPick off hellebore leaves with black blotches as this is a symptom of leaf spot diseasePrune wall cl...

flowerheads in summer. It will perform equally well in a sunny border or a container.Jarava ichuThis easy-to-grow bearded iris, with butter yellow and lavender petals, will flower from late-May to mid-June.Iris 'Lullaby of Spring'This short, smoky yellow iris

to keep wearing the same size trousers. I could fly off somewhere hot, but sadly that's not terribly practical. Instead, my cheap and easy solution is to talk about summer flowers, with the only proviso being that they can be any colour at all except white