As Summer arrives:

June 21 is the longest day of the year, and the extra light and warmth encourages the garden to put on an exuberant burst of growth. This brings some of the first harvests from the vegetable garden, including tasty new potatoes and salads. As the conditions become drier, keen an eye on containers and if you haven’t got one, it’s never a bad time to install a water butt.

Plant up summer hanging baskets and containers

Choose vibrant bedding plants for a summer show or herbs, shrubs and evergreens for a long-lasting display.

Use water wisely to keep your plants thriving

Watering is key to growing plants well, so here we look at how to get it just right. If you haven’t already got a water butt, installing one is a great way to help the environment.

Pinch out sideshoots on tomatoes

Removing the side shoots is simple – every time you water, check the plant for any shoots in the joint between the leaf and the stem.

Weeds: non-chemical control

Weeds can be controlled without resorting to weedkillers. Cultural or organic control measures rely on killing or restricting the weeds by physical action, from manual removal to smothering, burning and using weed barriers.

Lawn care in spring and summer

How you look after your lawn depends on what you want to achieve. To encourage wildflowers for pollinating insects, now is the time to stop mowing and relax, but if you want a well-trimmed, thriving green lawn, there are several things you can do in spring and summer to get it into good shape.

Perennials: staking

Perennials in borders often put on strong lush growth that makes them vulnerable to collapse, especially after heavy rain or strong winds. Staking them early in the season will help avoid disaster. In particular; tall plants and hybrids with large flowers require additional support.