Flowers

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Greenhouse

Fruit and veg

  • Plant out sweetcorn after hardening off, arranging plants in blocks to aid pollination
  • Cover developing and ripening fruits with netting or fleece to protect them from birds
  • Enjoy the last harvests of asparagus this month, then leave the ferny top-growth to grow up over the summer
  • Spread mulch around thirsty crops such as beans and courgettes to hold in moisture around their roots
  • Check for woolly aphids on fruit trees, and treat infestations with soap-based spray
  • Water vegetables and fruit in containers regularly, especially during dry sunny weather
  • Go on regular snail hunts, especially on damp evenings, to reduce populations
  • Tie in new shoots of blackberries, raspberries, loganberries and other cane fruits
  • Apply tomato feed regularly to fruiting veg crops, including tomatoes, courgettes, pumpkins and chillies
  • Plant up an edible hanging basket with trailing tomatoes and herbs, and keep it well watered all summer
  • Rejuvenate chives by cutting the clump down to the base, for a fresh crop of new leaves in just a few weeks
  • Water beans and peas as they start to flower
  • Pull out any raspberry canes sprouting up out of their dedicated area
  • Take softwood cuttings of herbs such as marjoram and sage, plant in gritty compost and place on a sunny windowsill
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House plants

  • Start feeding 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

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

Garden maintenance

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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