Flower Garden.

• Deadhead Delphiniums and Lupins once they finish flowering to promote a further flush later.
  
• Cutback hardy geraniums, heucheras and oriental poppies hard back. This will give some fresh foliage and maybe more flowers.
  
• Put houseplants out in the garden for their “summer holiday”. Remember to take them back in during September before any frosts.
  
• Once there has been a dry spell, give a coat of colour/preservative to fences, sheds and decking.
  
• Rhododendrons, lilacs and hydrangeas can be dead headed but be careful not to cut too far back, merely taking just the blooms.
  
• Hoe off any annual weeds but perennial weeds should be dug out making sure you take out all the root.
  
• Keep hostas and other tender plants safe from slugs and snails. You can get a slug killer that is not harmful to wildlife or you can use beer traps, crushed egg shells or used coffee grounds.
  
• Keep hanging baskets, containers and any newly planted shrubs or perennials well watered.
  
• Take time out not only to walk round the garden hopefully every day to keep an eye on everything but most importantly SIT and ENJOY!

 
Lawns.

• Mow the lawn more often now, usually at least once a week and reduce the cutting height if the weather is not too hot.
  
• If you have any movable features on the lawn, such as tables, chairs, children's toys or animals like rabbits in runs, make sure they are moved on a regular basis so the grass underneath can green up again.
  
• If you have not already weeded and fed the lawn it is still not too late to apply a combined weed and feed.
  
• A new lawn should be watered in dry spells to stop the turf from shrinking and failing to knit together and also water seed sown lawns to encourage growth.
  
• If you have a lot of grass clippings put them on the compost heap in stages so that the compost does not go slimy.

 
Fruit and Vegetables.

• Place straw or black polythene under strawberries to protect from rain splashes and slugs.
  
• Place netting supported by raised canes to protect fruit from birds if you don’t yet have a fruit cage.
  
• After the June drop of apple trees, if the apples still look too crowded thin them out to give better sized fruits that will ripen all the way round.
  
• Keep picking rhubarb so that it does not have a chance to go to seed.
  
• Train in the new canes of raspberries and blackberries by tying them in to say the left whilst the older canes are pulled to the right.
  
• Early potatoes should be ready to dig now and maincrop ones will need earthing up.
  
• Sow more lettuce, radish and beetroot in succession through the month.
  
• Train tomato plants as they grow and pinch out the side shoots from cordon grown ones.
  
• Run string attached at each end to posts to support broad beans as they grow and pinch out the growing tips to discourage black fly.
  
• Keep all vegetable growing areas free from weeds.

 
Wildlife.

• Roses that produce hips should not be hard pruned so that the hips may be left for the birds to enjoy as well as being decorative.
  
• Leave a part of the garden untended, behind the shed is a good place, where wildlife can be safe. Any nettles can be cut back to provide fresh growth. Put the cuttings on the compost heap.
  
• Make sure you have plenty of marginal planting around a wildlife pond as the tadpoles will be getting their legs and seeking shelter amongst plants at the side of the pond.
  
• Put up a bat nesting box in a sunny position to encourage bats who will eat midges etc.

 
Looking Good This Month.

Alchemilla Mollis - Ladies Mantle. Green flowers, good shaped leaves that hold rain.
Cistus - Rock rose. Papery flowers of white or pink with dark blotches.

Clematis - Climber with many large flowers in all colours.

Dianthus - Garden pinks. Grey/green leaves with pungent flowers.

Geranium - Hardy cranesbill. Good ground cover with masses of flowers.

Hosta - Plaintain lily. Broad leaves with tall flowers in white or lilac.

Lavendula - Lavender with scented flowers good for drying.

Lupinus - Lupins. Stately flowers in many colours.

Paeonia Lactiflora  - Paeony with large bowl shaped flowers.

Philadephus - Mock orange blossom. Free flowering and good scent.

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