Jobs this month

• Make sure you have a source of water ready available for birds and other garden wildlife, like a bird bath, and make sure to top them up regularly
• Water fruit and veg plants DAILY, especially in extreme hot weather
• Prune all summer flowering shrubs, such as climbing hydrangeas, once the blooms are finished
• Keep on top of weeds as they compete with your crops for nutrients and water
• Water evergreen shrubs like camellias and rhododendrons thoroughly this month to make sure that next year`s buds develop well
• Keep patio container plants well watered and feed with a liquid fertiliser every fortnight
• Stake tall or top-heavy dahlias and lilies to prevent wind and rain damage. Dead-head lilies for a better flower display next year
• Dead-head annual bedding plants and perennials to encourage them to flower into the autumn and stop them self-seeding
• Cut back faded perennials to keep borders tidy
• As penstemon flowers fade, cut them back to just above a leaf to encourage more flowers
• Cut back herbs now to encourage a new flush of tasty leaves you can harvest before the frost
• Prune wisteria after flowering by removing all the whippy side-shoots from the main branch framework to about 20cm from their base (about five leaves from the main stem).
• Trim any lavender plants after they`ve finished flowering to keep them compact
• Collect ripened seeds and store them for next year. Leaving some seed heads in place can be attractive and allows the plant to self-seed in the surrounding soil
• Mow meadows now to help scatter established wildflower seeds
• Take cuttings of your favourite tender perennials such as pelargoniums and fuchsia to propagate them for next year.
• Finish dividing clumps of bearded Iris now so they have time to form roots and flower buds for next year before the cold weather arrives
• Prune climbing roses and rambling roses once they`ve finished flowering (unless they’re repeat-flowerers in which case leave them)
• Net Brasiccas to protect them from pigeons and insects