Arthur's top tips

• Lift main crop potatoes when the leaves have died down
• Pot up prepared hyacinth bulbs to flower at Christmas and put in a cool dark place
• September is a good month to sow a new lawn or patch up an existing one
• First early onion sets can be planted now for an early crop next year
• Plant out spring cabbages
• Cut back perennials past their best, compost as much waste as possible adding an activator to speed up rotting
• Empty pots of faded early summer bedding, adding old plants to the compost heap
• Keep picking summer-sown salads to prevent the plants running to seed
• Plant garlic cloves outside or in modular seed trays ready to plant out later this autumn and cover herbs like basil and parsley with cloches, or bring potted ones under cover
• Harvest globe artichokes and stake tall Brussels sprouts to stop them from blowing over
• Dig up onions and lay them out in an airy space to dry before storing. Stringing onions is a great way of storing gluts, as you can keep a large number of bulbs in a small space. Hang them in a cool, dry, frost-free place - such as a shed - until you need to bring them into the kitchen. Leave your bulbs to dry out thoroughly before you string them, by laying them out and leaving them in the sun for a few days. If it's raining, lay them on trays in a warm, dry place, such as a shed or conservatory. Choose the best quality bulbs to store any that are damp and moist should be eaten straight away as they won't store well and will be prone to mould and mildew. They do look lovely strung up, but it is not necessary.  Onions store very well in plastic tray. Or as my mother used to do, put them in an old pair of tights if you want to hang them up.
• Spread netting over ponds or water features to stop autumn leaves falling in

Autumn Jobs. Your crops are being harvested and some of the exuberant summer colour has faded from your borders but don’t be fooled into thinking that it’s all over until next spring. Autumn is a busy time in the garden, clearing away the decaying vegetation of the summer and preparing the garden for the cooler winter months ahead. Let the big clear up begin! Make sure that you lift those tender species such as Begonias, Dahlias, and Cannas before the first frosts threaten. Cut back the stems and gently lift the tubers/rhizomes from the ground. Clean the soil from them, dust them with a fungicide and store them in trays of dry compost or sand, with just the top of crown visible. Now is the perfect time to plant evergreen shrubs. Evergreens form the backbone of the garden, providing structure and year-round interest, so the more evergreens in your garden, the better it will look in winter. With warm soil and cooler conditions, autumn is the perfect time to fill those gaps in your borders. Sarcococca and Daphne will bring glossy green leaves and beautifully fragrant flowers in the depths of winter while the rest of your garden is dormant. For an elegant larger shrub try spring flowering Camellias or Fatsias for its large architectural foliage. Autumn provides an ideal 

• Feed fruit trees now to encourage next year’s fruit with sulphate of potash
• Feed your beech hedging now, we find the organic brand called osmo excellent as it is dust free and will not scorch the foliage
• Plant the seeds of turnips, carrots, swiss chard, kale and spring cabbage now

Choosing roses. Part of the fun (and frustration) is caused by the vast assortment from which you have to choose. Each rose can be placed in one or other of 6 classes and a somewhat bewildering array. Here’s how you can tell them apart. For this week here’s the top three that are typically grown.  The most popular class are hybrid tea roses, their flower stems are long and the blooms are shapely. The typical hybrid tea bears blooms which are medium-sized or large, with many petals forming a distinct cone. This group of roses are a flower arrangers dream, often heavily scented. My top 3 from this group would be Warm Wishes, Fragrant Dream & Loving Memory. Next are Floribunda roses which are an unrivalled class of rose for providing a colourful, reliable long lasting display. Flowering in clusters with several blooms opening at one time, which make them the rose to choose for a large bedding display or border. My top three are Trumpeter, Freedom and the Rose of the year for 2012 Moment in Time. Climber and ramblers are roses which if tied to a support can be made to climb. Ramblers have long pliable stems which flower in large trusses of small flowers whereas climbers have stiff stems which bear flowers which are larger. My choices from this group are Dublin Bay, Aloha and Wedding Day. 

• When the first flush of roses is over, prune back lightly and feed with a rose fertilizer.
• Be sure to water plants in tubs, raised beds and on walls thoroughly.
• Feed your houseplants regularly with a liquid feed.
• Treat weeds with a lawn weed killer before they get a firm foothold.
• Continue to feed tomatoes and cucumbers.
• Ventilate your tunnels and greenhouse.

Reap the rewards of all your hard work! This month you should be harvesting the following: blackcurrants, strawberries, raspberries, peas, spinach, rocket, endive, beans, spring onions, new potatoes, lettuce, broccoli (calabrese and purple sprouting). Harvest shallots and hand them up to dry. Enjoy.

How to plant good companions

Plants have friends and enemies, too and you can use this to get bigger and better crops in your vegetable patch. Some plants have the same needs; others will help deter pests while a few will even act in a supporting role. The trick is to know who gets on with whom and which ones you definitely need to keep at opposite ends of the garden. Smell is very important; some plants can confuse garden pests with their scent. If your carrots were plagued by carrot root fly this year then try growing alliums, such as chives or leeks, between the rows to throw them off the scent. Strongly scented marigolds can also help to deter carrot root fly. Black fly when growing beans is my number one problem, this year we grew the poached egg plant beside them and so far no blackfly. Ladybirds are our best friends in the garden centre, so much so that we encourage them to come live here, by placing little wooden houses for them amongst the rose beds. It sounds strange but ladybirds are big fans of greenfly for lunch. You can encourage them into your garden by planting fragrant midsummer perennials such as phlox, evening primrose, lavender and catmint.

Take advantage of the different ways you grow plants, tall, trailing and climbing can help each other out. Native American Indians used a technique called the ‘three sisters’ this involves planting sweetcorn, pumpkins, and beans together, the tall sweetcorn provides a climbing support for the beans, which in turn fix nitrogen in the soil to feed the other two hungry plants. The best bit is that the pumpkins trail along the ground and smother the weeds. You can also offer up a sacrifice, nasturtiums play the role of victim particularly well; their smell keeps the bugs off pumpkins and broccoli while caterpillars love them and will happily eat them rather than your prize cabbages.   

• Clip box hedging and topiary.
• Check plants regularly for signs of pests and disease.
• Plant vegetable plants outdoors now.
• Fill in any gaps in your herbaceous border.
• Add plants of interest to your garden, it’s a good time to choose when they are looking their best.

Plants of Interest

Bedding plants

Now is the time to plant your summer colour. It is so easy to transform your outdoor living space with a minimum of effort. When choosing your plants keep in mind that all bedding plants, even though they may look the same, there can be quite a difference. Choose sturdy, healthy plants and avoid small plants with a small root system and if you can, buy Irish.  They are in my opinion, much superior to imported stock which may cost slightly less, but are cheaper in the long run. When choosing your bedding consider your location, your soil and whether it’s sunny or shaded, which is very important. For example, busy Lizzies are perfect in shade, whereas geraniums prefer full sun. Marigolds are nearly indestructible and will succeed where most other summer bedding plants will under-perform.  Cosmos and alyssum will flourish on poor, light soil but in general, you will be rewarded for a little preparation. Dig the soil and break down any large lumps to a workable consistency. Incorporate some compost and spread a small amount of good fertilizer. I find the long term slow release forms very effective as they will feed your plants as required for the whole summer. After planting, it is very important to give your plants a good watering and take care that newly planted flowers are not devoured by slugs. That’s really all you have to do and you will have colour all summer long. Nothing brightens up your home more than a couple of pots of colour.

My top 5 for success are:

Begonias = reliable.
Busy Lizzie's = enjoy our weather.
Cosmos = interest and height. 
Nemesia = vibrant colours.
Cape Daisy = interesting flower shades.

How to start growing your lunch (Rosemary)

Rosemary: For greatest success, set the plant in a sunny area. The ground must be well drained and not too rich; in a pot, a mixture of two parts sterilised potting soil to one part of coarse sand or perlite works well. Ensure good drainage and avoid overwatering; soggy roots will kill the plant. In monastic gardens of the Middle Ages, rosemary was tended as a medicinal herb. Valued for its tranquilizing effects, this aromatic evergreen was believed to cure headaches, strengthen hair, and aid memory and powers of concentration. These days, cooks celebrate rosemary's ability to create memorable dishes: a little is best, as it can be very strong. In its own right rosemary is an attractive evergreen shrub, with dainty blue flowers. The prostrate form makes an excellent ground cover plant which will also cascade over a wall.

June sees the risk of frost pass so if you haven't already now is the time to plant out tender bedding plants and annuals for stunning summer displays. June is a busy month in the gardening calendar with fruit, vegetables, containers and baskets needing regular feeding and watering. First crops are ready for harvesting and you need to keep sowing lettuces and other crops to ensure a season-long supply.

• Keep mowing and feeding the lawn to make sure it's looking its best and then sit down, relax and enjoy the fruits of your labour.
• Prune early summer-flowering shrubs like philadelphus once the flowers are over.
• Finish planting out dahlias, cannas and summer bedding.
• Feed acid-loving plants with a special liquid fertiliser containing iron.
• Harvest veg as they become ready and earth up potatoes to ensure a bumper crop. Keep fruit and veg well watered. Spread mulch around beans and other crops to help conserve soil moisture.
• Increase greenhouse shading if temperatures inside are getting very hot  and damp down the greenhouse floor every morning
• Carrots and onions planted in alternate rows are good allies. The carrots help drive away the onion fly and the onions drive off the carrot fly.  Plant the variety of carrots called fly away for extra protection. If it’s a big problem in your garden, I would also recommend in investing in some enviromesh cloche.
• Pinch out cucumber sideshoot tips two leaves beyond a female flower.

Give it a try... Planting up a summer hanging basket.

The first step toward creating a lush, beautiful hanging basket is in choosing your plants. Purchasing healthy plants is essential; I look for plants with several stems, since they will produce prolific growth. Then choose your basket size the larger the basket the more plants you will be able to put in and the more colourful it will be. Make planting a basket easy and remove the chains before you start. It’s handy to stand the basket on a large flowerpot or a bucket for stability while you plant. Line the wire basket with a moss liner or choose another type of liner. It is important to be able to push through the liner or cut it easily so that you can position plants through the sides of the basket and underneath. Half fill the basket with Basket & Container compost and mix in some Slow Release Plant Food (Osmocote) to ensure that your plants have sufficient food for up to 6 months. When using bedding plants gently push the roots through the side of the basket so that the root balls are resting on the top of compost. Lobelia is best we find for side planting. Plant all around the edge of the basket at this level with one layer of plants. Add some more compost and plant another layer of plants through the sides of the basket all the way round. Finally, fill the basket almost to the top with more compost and add another layer of plants. Top up the basket with more compost until it is full. Plant a selection of trailing basket plants around the edge of the basket and a few upright plants in the centre. Firm them in gently and water well. Once your basket has settled the liner or moss will have shrunk to fit your basket, any excess on a liner can be trimmed. Remove spent blooms from your plants two to three times a week to encourage plants to produce a succession of flowers. You can boost plants with a weekly liquid feed.

• Give azaleas, camellias and rhododendrons a feed with ericaceous fertilizer (sequestrene of iron).
• Install water butts to all downpipes on you house, greenhouse or garage to collect rain water.
• Spray your roses now with rose clear.
• Plant herbs in pots and keep them close to the house so you can reach them easily.
• Mow lawns regularly gradually lowering the height of the cut as spring progresses.
• Continue sowing main crop potatoes.

Time is of the Essence

Call it what you will, prioritizing or as my mother says “a stitch in time saves nine”. Now is the optimum time to tackle weed control on your drive around your shrubs and especially around newly planted hedging. If you can spray or even hoe before the weeds grow out of control it’s a much easier task.  Everything in your garden is growing strongly with the good weather and in a couple of days grass that was 3 inches long becomes 9 inches long and dandelions that were not there yesterday are now in full flower. There are a vast amount of weed control products on the market and it can be hard to know which one is the best for a particular area. The spray for a gravel pathway may not be the one to use around a newly planted hedge. There are a number of things you must carefully take into consideration, choose the right spray for the particular location, follow the rate and mixing instructions carefully.  You need a dry calm day to avoid drift and you need to take precautions for yourself.  Use a mask and gloves when using chemicals and don’t forget to wash out your sprayer well with a little bit of washing up liquid and tepid water.  Never use boiling water as it damages the internal workings of sprayers. There are numerous sprays you can use, the following is a short list I find very effective and readily available.  Roundup is a multi-tasker, it can be used around hedges, shrubs and trees, it’s a very safe chemical as it is only taken in by the leaf, not by the root, so it has no after effects on your soil.  In close proximity to plants avoid spray drift, you can mix roundup in a bucket and apply with a paint brush.  Roundup is also available in a gel form with an applicator if you are dealing with grass growing up through shrubs. If you are considering extending a shrub bed and want to kill off grass, spray with roundup and leave for 18 days.  If you don’t wish to wait that long use Resolva, you can dig after 24 hours.  For weed control in non-cropped areas, gravel driveways or interlocking paving Premazor 57 gives good all season control.  If there are existing weeds in these areas add some roundup in the mix as Premazor 57 prevents weeds from growing rather than killing existing ones.  If you want to kill weeds in your lawn you must use a selective weed killer i.e. one that will kill dandelions and daisies and so forth without harming the grass.  Duplizon is very good but any spray containing 24D or MCPA will work. For best control spray about one week after you have fed your lawn when the weeds are actively growing,  choose a calm evening and do it at dusk if possible when the bees have gone home.

It’s getting near the perfect time for spraying your lawn for weeds, but make sure you feed your lawn first.

Plant runner beans. Runner beans make one of the easiest and most rewarding summer crops. Planted now they'll grow away in the warmer soil and, with plenty of moisture at the roots, they'll quickly twine up their support to produce masses of succulent pods that taste great.

• Plant up hanging baskets and leave them in a sheltered spot before hanging fully outside.
• Plant out potted alliums in groups to add interest to flower beds.
• Water clumps of tulips and spring bulbs with liquid feed.
• Plant out container-grown roses and shrubs.
• Keep newly planted trees and shrubs well watered until established.
• Place collars around the stems of brassicas to prevent an attack of cabbage root fly.
• Pinch off strawberry runners as soon as they develop, to stop them competing with developing fruit for nutrients.
• Feed houseplants weekly from now until autumn.
• Earth up soil around emerging potato shoots, which encourages higher yields.
• Sow seeds of the following crops outside this week: radish, spring onions, coriander, parsley and chives.
• Plant tender crops outside, covering them with cloches when night temperatures fall.
• In your greenhouse or tunnel open all vents on warm days, but close again in the evening.
• Hang yellow sticky traps over plants to catch whitefly and flying pests.
• Plant marigolds beside tomatoes to help keep away aphids.

Give it a try.. for those wanting to be ultra Organic....for a bountiful garden with plenty of vegetables or a simply a long lasting window box, there's one golden rule ; feed your plants in summer, do this every two weeks especially growing in containers. The cheapest fertilizer is other plants; some are so nutritious that they can successfully feed others in the form of a tea! Comfrey is excellent, a deep-rooted hardy perennial which is high in potash, nitrogen and phosphate. To make comfrey tea, cut the leaves right to the ground (an established plant should yield four to five cuts a year) stuff them into a container with a tight lid and add water (roughly a carrier bag of leaves per 100 litres). Let it brew for at least ten days. It’s ready when it stinks so much you can't go near it (hence the lid). If you would like to try this now is the perfect time to sow comfrey seed.

Darling buds of May.  Of all our garden plants lilac is the one that nearly everyone can name. Its distinctive fragrance hits you first before you can even see it. Just one cut stem can scent a room. Lilacs delicate looking blooms comprise of star-like florets in shades from pure white through to mauves and rich purples. There is even a yellow variety. My favourites, however, are 'Madame Lemoine' and  ‘miss Ellen Wilmott' which are  beautiful white varieties, while  'Katherine Havemeyer' is a  very reliable lavender colour and 'Ludwig Spath' is a free-flowering purple. A sunny spot is best, but not in prime-position as they look dull in flower. They’re happiest in deep, fertile moisture retentive soil. Let them grow into a multi-stemmed bush with an open centre to discourage disease and be patient it can take up to three years for them to establish and reward you with full-size blooms. Take care as you deadhead, wait until two shoots form, below the old flower and don't cut these off or you'll miss next year's display.

Pruning roses keep them in shape and encourages more flower growth and healthier plants. Cut weak shoots right back to promote stronger growth from the base. Remove dead shoots and the tips of stems showing die back. Look for crossing and badly placed branches and cut them out to form a good shape. Cut just above a bud pointing in the direction you want the new growth. Avoid spreading disease by always making sure your secateurs are clean and sharp.

• Spread a layer of manure or compost around roses and shrubs.
• Chit seed potatoes in trays in a bright, frost-free position.
• Sow broad beans, carrots and hardy peas outside in soil warmed by cloches.
• Prune summer-flowering clematis, cutting above a low pair of green buds.
• Prune all stems of Hydrangea paniculata down to about three buds from soil level.
• Carry on sowing seeds in pots or trays in the greenhouse, ready to transplant later, including Brussels sprouts, spring cabbage and onions.

It’s great to see the daffodils popping up their heads and the sight of baby lambs out in the fields is a sure sign that spring is here. Everything is coming to life and there is lots to be done in the garden, lots of prep work for this year’s crop and it’s the ideal time for planting trees and shrubs and anybody considering planting beech hedging which is normally sold bare rooted needs to do so in the next 3 weeks and for that matter any bare rooted plants must be planted soon. Plants grown in containers can be planted all year round but ones planted now will be much further advanced and if your soil is dry enough get planting now. If you are considering moving plants in the garden now is the time, most plants will move successfully if they haven’t been left there for years and years. When moving plants try and keep some soil on the roots and stake plants well after replanting, while I think of it after the storms of recent weeks you might check any plants that you have staked if the ties have loosened and the stem of the plant is constantly rubbing off the stake it can cause a lot of damage. The benefits of gardening are many I don’t need to preach to the converted but if you want to enjoy one of the tastiest fruits of your labour plant some raspberry canes now, it’s so simple and you will be amazed at how tasty fresh raspberries are. Raspberry canes are usually sold bare rooted so you must plant them soon. There are a number of varieties to choose from basically there are two main types summer fruiting and autumn fruiting varieties. The difference been summer fruiting varieties produce fruit on last  season growth and autumn fruiting varieties produce fruit on current seasons growth. The type you choose will dictate the way you grow it.  Summer fruiting varieties are grown between wires to support the canes at about 1.2metres high (4ft) and the canes are topped off in late summer at about 1.8 m (6ft) whereas autumn fruiting raspberries are cut back to ground level in early spring, no wires necessary and the new canes will produce fruit by autumn.  At this stage you would probably say autumn is the way to go, the drawback been that autumn raspberry canes only produce about half the amount of fruit as summer fruiting varieties so I would plant both and prolong the fruiting season. There is an autumn fruiting variety that produces yellow fruit called All Gold, you have never eaten anything like it. Raspberries are so easy to grow and once you plant them you have them for years.

Growing from seed is a simple and economical way of raising new plants for your garden. While many plants are hardy enough to grow outdoors, they'll benefit from being sown indoors to give them a head start. Sowing indoors is also useful for extending the growing season of tender bedding plants and vegetables. If you’re starting out, get your hands on a simple windowsill propagator as they are designed to sit neatly on your window ledge.

• Sprinkle sulphate of potash fertiliser around fruit bushes.
• Apply slug pellets around emerging spring bulbs.
• Continue to tidy beds and borders, then mulch with compost, well-rotted manure or bark.
• This is the latest time to spray fruit trees with a winter wash as the buds will soon be emerging.
• Prune gooseberry bushes to open up the centre and apply a winter wash of Armillatox.
• Chit seed potatoes in trays in a bright, frost-free position.
• Cut back old stems of Mallow (Lavatera) to ground level, taking care not to harm new shoots.
• Sow seed of broad beans, carrots, hardy peas and parsnips outside in soil warmed by cloches.
• Prevent seedlings being affected by damping-off disease by watering compost with a solution of chestnut compound.
• Finish pruning fruit trees and soft fruits.

The humble spud should actually be called the splendid spud as it’s one of the most balanced foods we can eat rivalling any other vegetable for its range of shapes, sizes and flavours. It will soon be time to plant potatoes, some varieties mature quickly we know them as earlies. These are traditionally planted on or around Saint Patrick’s Day with the main crop varieties being planted end of March/ April. When choosing the variety you intend to grow there are a number of considerations. Varieties like Desiree will thrive in a heavy clay or even poor soil whereas Golden Wonders prefer rich sandy soil, so your choice for your type of garden soil will be the key to your success. Having sorted the practicalities of potato growing you then must decide if you like a floury or waxy potato. Also, consider how you generally cook them, do you bake, roast, boil or chip them. Each variety has its advantages and disadvantages. When it comes to potatoes everybody has their preferences, but I recommend the following; Juliette; a lovely salad potato, Majestic; a great all-rounder thrives in any soil, Rocket; for early growing under cover, Colleen; which is of Irish origin is one of tastiest early varieties, Pentland Javelin; grown for its excellent flavour and for something different try Blue Danube; if you like a dry floury potato this is the one for you. With the added bonus of being blight resistant. Blight is about, the biggest problem with potatoes, but you can now choose varieties that are blight resistant. The one our customers keep looking for is Sarpo Axona, for flavour, yield and ease of growing it’s the one to grow. First earlies will be planted mid-march, but you can start the growing process now by chitting, this means putting your potatoes in flat trays with the most pointed side facing upwards in a bright frost free area. After about three weeks the sprouts will be an inch long, taking care not to break off your sprouts you can now plant them as normal in soil that has been enriched with a good layer of farmyard manure (now available in an easy to use pellet form). By mid-June, you should be enjoying your first crop.  Here’s an easy harvesting guide;

First earlies should mature in 10-12 weeks, Second earlies mature in 14-16 weeks; Maincrops take 16-22 weeks.

• Check greenhouse heaters daily to ensure they are working efficiently and that fuel levels don't need topping up.
• Force rhubarb by digging up a crown and replanting it in total darkness or placing a large bin over the existing crop.
• Prune gooseberry bushes to improve air circulation around the fruit.
• Squash mistletoe berries into apple tree branches to germinate your own supply for next year!
• Cut down old stems of sedums.
• Plant bare-root roses in well prepared ground.
• Trim away unwanted suckers from tree bases.
• Clear borders and rake up leaves.
• Spread a thick layer of mulch around fruit trees and bushes.
• Prune blackcurrants.

Garlic is a key ingredient in much of our cooking and nothing beats the flavour of a home-grown crop. It needs a long growing season in the midlands so the key to success is early planting, between November and the New Year. Break garlic bulbs into individual cloves ready for planting. Take care not to damage the cloves as this can lead to rotting. In mild conditions, you can plant the cloves in well-prepared soil spacing them 10cm apart. Simply push the cloves into the soil so that the tip of each one is just below the surface and then cover them with cloches in frosty weather.

To speed up the growth rate of the crop, you can plant the cloves in divided seed trays of multi-purpose compost. Water well and place trays in a cool greenhouse or cold frame to grow on. Garlic plants grown in trays will be ready to plant out in March or April. Use a trowel to make a hole and set the plants at the same level as they were growing in the trays.

How to start growing your own... dessert.
The stalks of rhubarb are a delicious treat when there's little other fruit available. Left to its own devices, rhubarb can usually be pulled in late April and May but, by covering the crowns early in the year, it's possible to force it into growth up to eight weeks early.

Forcing rhubarb by covering the crowns will encourage the plants to make early growth. These forced stalks can be harvested for use in cooking when they are 20cm - 30cm long and make a useful substitute for fruit when there is little else in store from the garden. It’s very simple to do, firstly clear around the base of a rhubarb crown, removing old leaves and weeds. Use a large pot, dustbin or decorative rhubarb forcer to cover the crown. Plug any holes to exclude light. In cold regions or to speed forcing, insulate the outside of the pot with a thick layer of straw.

Most years, forced rhubarb will be ready to harvest eight weeks after covering. Avoid forcing a single crown of rhubarb for two years in a row. Leave it to crop naturally instead, and always have more than one crown so you can force in alternate years

• Shorten half the shoots on broom and genista to encourage new growth.
• Thin heavy fruit crops, picking off the smallest. Aim to leave developing fruits about 10-15cm apart along the stems, perhaps thinning congested spurs down to just a single fruit.
• Sow seed of herbs now, including basil, parsley, and coriander.
• Sow vegetable seeds now, including endive, lettuce and salad leaves, beetroot, radishes, spring cabbages, kohl rabi, Swiss chard, winter spinach, Oriental greens, spring onions, turnips.
• Summer prune your wisteria.
• Water tomatoes regularly to prevent fruit splitting and blossom end rot.
• Spray potatoes and outdoor tomatoes with Bordeaux mixture to prevent blight.

How to summer prune your wisteria

Summer pruning wisteria encourages the development of short-flowering spurs that will carry the long racemes of bloom in spring. To be less technical if you neglect to prune you will have little or no flowers next year. The long vigorous shoots are cut back to a couple of buds from the base of the current season's growth. During initial training of young wisteria plants, select a few strong shoots to tie into wires or trellis. Once you have created these, you can prune any sideshoots back to this framework. Use secateurs to cut back all the long shoots that have been produced during the late spring and early summer. Make the cut just beyond the second or third bud from the base. Make sure that your secateurs are sharp when cutting back the long shoots of climbers as it's easy to crush or tear the stems, which may lead to die-back. Don’t waste these as green, leafy summer prunings from wisteria can be added to the compost heap where they'll rot down quickly.

Hydrangeas explode with colour in July in gardens around the country. All looking great right up until autumn. Their ability to weather wintry conditions of late and still produce blooms each year means they are a must for any garden. Some varieties perform better than others in the midlands so we no longer stock them, instead we now concentrate on finding different colour shades of the species that do well. At their best for mass landscaping and border planting, however because of their long season of bloom, they are also great in a container. There are hundreds of varieties to choose from different shapes as well as different colours. We have a lovely one at the moment called hydrangea quercifolia (oakleaf hydrangea) that will have stunning autumn foliage colour, definitely one to add to your collection.  

• Pinch outside shoots of tomatoes to increase yields and keep feeding with tomato feed.
• Stay on high alert, the war on slugs continues.
• Pot up houseplants that have become top heavy or pot bound.
• Be on the lookout for developing pest problems and take action.
• Re-seed bare patches in lawns.
• Treat weeds with a lawn weed killer before they get a firm foothold.
• Sow seeds of herbs, including basil, parsley and coriander.
• Bury shoot tips of blackberries and peg them down to raise new plants.
• Keep an eye on your greenhouse or tunnel. Ventilate daily and add extra shading if temperatures get too high.
• Cut back pansies that look straggly to encourage new growth.
• Shorten half the shoots on broom and genista to encourage new growth.
• Thin heavy fruit crops, picking off the smallest. Aim to leave developing fruits about 10-15cm apart along the stems, perhaps thinning congested spurs down to just a single fruit.
• Trim conifers and other garden hedges.

We in the midlands are so lucky to have our lovely lakes and rivers to revive us in this glorious weather. There is I find nothing more relaxing than the sound of a trickling stream. Throughout the centuries the addition of a water feature in garden design was extremely important in fact garden design at its pinnacle revolves around water. Some of the great gardens of Europe manipulated the natural course of rivers to create lakes and waterfalls for their own pleasure; of course I’m not suggesting you to this! But you can create a very pleasing natural water feature which involves more work than money. Its success will be measured by the amount of planning you do. Decide on your format, is it going to be formal or natural, of course this will be influenced by your site i.e. if you have a slopping site you can create a waterfall quite easily.  Do some research before you start one or two good landscape books on the subject will point you in the right direction regarding the feature best suited to your garden. Also consider if you are going to include fish in your pool. Filtration is very important, make sure to get some professional advice. Growing plants in and around water will bring you into a whole new world of gardening, usually I would be telling you to pick a sunny well drained position for your plants but not this time as water plants are the other end of the spectrum. Many of them growing directly in the water, which in turn helps keep the water clear as well as looking beautiful. I always look forward to the first water lily to flower as it marks the beginning of summer to me and on evenings like we’ve just had you reap the rewards of your labours.