Flowers

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Fruit and veg

  • Check crops such as runner beans regularly for aphids, and rub or wash them off straight away, before they multiply
  • Water thirsty plants such as celery, beans, peas, courgettes, pumpkins and tomatoes regularly
  • Make the last pickings of rhubarb and remove any flower spikes that start to form, cutting right down at the base
  • Thin out heavy crops of apples, pears and plums, and remove any malformed, damaged or undersized fruits
  • Prune plum trees in dry weather, when silver leaf fungal disease is less prevalent
  • Sow a last batch of peas and dwarf beans before mid-July for an autumn crop
  • Shorten side shoots growing from the framework of trained fruit trees, reducing to about five leaves from their base
  • Water fruit trees and bushes, then lay a thick mulch of garden compost around their base to hold in moisture
  • 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

  • Open greenhouse vents and doors on warm days to improve air circulation
  • Continue pinching out any side shoots growing from the leaf joints of cordon tomatoes
  • Take cuttings from fuchsias, coleus, pelargoniums, marguerites and other tender perennials
  • Water tomatoes daily to prevent drying out, which can lead to split fruits and blossom end rot
  • Order cold-stored potato tubers for planting in a greenhouse or cool porch next month, to harvest at Christmas
  • Damp down the greenhouse floor each morning on hot days to increase humidity
  • Be vigilant for aphids, vine weevils and other pests, and treat immediately so infestations don't get out of hand
  • Feed tomatoes, chillies and cucumbers with high-potash tomato fertiliser every week to encourage fruiting
  • Install a reservoir watering system, so thirsty plants such as tomatoes don't dry out
  • Regularly sweep greenhouse staging and floors to reduce debris that can harbour pests and diseases
  • Train the main stem of cucumbers up supports and pinch out sideshoots two leaves after a flower or fruit
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Garden maintenance

  • Compost your kitchen and garden waste, chopping up and mixing the contents to speed up decomposition
  • 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
  • Trim conifers and other garden hedges
  • Scoop out any floating pondweed and algae from pools and water features
  • 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
  • Deadhead bedding plants, sweet peas and annuals every few days to encourage more flowers
  • Set up an automatic watering system to look after greenhouse crops, pots and baskets if you're going on holiday
  • Make your own liquid feed from comfrey plants
  • Apply tomato feed fortnightly to crops in pots and growing bags, such as tomatoes and chillies, to encourage fruiting
  • Trim lavender after flowering to keep plants compact and bushy, but avoid cutting into old wood
  • Be on the lookout for developing pest problems and take action straight away

House plants

  •  Feed houseplants once a week with liquid fertiliser, continuing through to autumn
  • Water your house plants more regularly as the temperatures warm and light levels increase, check the soil before watering. Take a look at our guide to watering house plants
  • Repot any houseplants that have become top heavy or pot bound into larger containers
  • Ensure house plants are not getting scorched by summer sunshine. Either move further from the window or choose house plants that will thrive in a sunny spot
  • Some house plants, like snake plants, are particularly prone to collecting dust on their leaves. So be sure to give these a wipe regularly
  • Put houseplants outside for the summer in a warm, sheltered spot to enjoy the fresh air and extra light
  • Take leaf cuttings from houseplants, including African violets, begonias and Cape primroses
  • Check your house plants for pests like aphids, scale insects, thrips and mealybugs
  • Take large-leaved houseplants into the garden and hose them down to clean off accumulated dust

For more house plant advice and inspiration visit our Growing and caring for house plants page

from £19.99 Supplied as 14cm potted plants

Perfect for both sunlit spots and partial shade, this perennial thrives anywhere in the garden but particularly shines in the dappled shade of trees and shrubs. Suitable for containers and borders, it has a compact habit with attractive palm-shaped leaves which remain green throughout the year. The long-lasting spring blooms are also an essential source of nectar for early-emerging bees.

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from £9.99 Supplied as plug plants

This mix of five super-bright Thunbergia alata Sunny Susy plants will provide months of vibrant colour through summer and into autumn. Easy to grow, thunbergia keeps producing flowers, even if summer weather is not especially hot, with no need for deadheading.

Offer Ends:
£12.95 *Worth £4.95

These expertly grown vegetable plants are perfect for growing on in your garden, allotment or greenhouse. They will quickly establish after transplanting and develop into mature plants, giving you the satisfaction of homegrown vegetables.

Use code: GWCHIQU124

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