The summer is here and everywhere, the ground is green, and the boughs are full of leaves. Fruit is ripening, vegetables are being picked and flowers spill over borders and walls. There is always something to do in the garden so here are a few tips to keep the garden thriving and healthy.

• Pruning
  All spring flowering shrubs like Ribes (flowering currant), Forsythia and Kerria. With Ribes and Forsythia shrubs that produce their growth on last year’s stems, cut away all flowered stems. This encourages new growth which will produce flowers next spring. Kerria must have a third of its flowered shoots cut at the base. Weigela and Philadelphus must be also pruned this way after flowering by removing up to a third of all flowered shoots cut.
• Primulas
  Lift and carefully divide any Primulas you wish to have more of or if clumps have begun to be overcrowded. Always sprinkle a little fertiliser when transplanting and remember to water for up to six weeks.
• Roses
  These need attention throughout the summer months with a spray programme if they suffer with black spot or aphids. Use roseclear or another suitable product. Tie in tender young stems of all climbers as they produce these over the summer months and can be torn by high winds. After ramblers have finished flowering, tie in this year’s long shoots and remove half of the stems that have already flowered. This way you always have roses up the entire length of the stem rather than on the very top of the rose. With hybrid tea roses (the type that produces tall, straight growth with flowers either singly or a couple), prune down a third of the stem after each flower has either been picked or finished. It will then produce another rose in a few weeks’ time.
• Shrub and floribundas require the whole spray of flowered stem removed to a side shoot that faces out of the centre of the shrub. Always keep an open habit forming on roses so that air can circulate between the stems. This prevents any infestation happening and less disease. Always clean secateurs with disinfectant whilst working and sharpen pruning tools before and after. Burn any diseased shoots that you have pruned otherwise chop up into smaller pieces and add to compost bins. If you did not sprinkle fertilser around the base in spring apply now before the summer ends.
• Propagator
  Use a propagator if growing tropical loving plants like cucumbers, aubergines, tomatoes, squash, basil, courgettes and chillies. They will germinate quickly this way and not wilt but follow the above recommendations and harden off all seedlings when large enough but remember all these vegetables require heat, no frost and no sudden temperature changes so keep in a slightly warm environment.Vegetables
  To keep a plentiful crop of vegetables one must sow a few vegetables every couple of weeks unless it is maincrop. With all salads like lettuce and scallions this is easily achieved. Protect all carrots either with netting or by placing between two tall crops like sweetcorn and beans. Watch out for blight if the weather turns muggy. Act immediately. Remove side shoots from tomatoes if cordon grown. Sow another batch of peas, these grow quickly so you should be able to harvest another crop. Keep earthing up maincrop potatoes and celery. If you spread manure and fertiliser over the winter months all crops should have enough nutrients but if you sow another quick growing crop once one has finished, then sprinkle some fertiliser down when sowing some salads.
• Fruit garden
  These will need netting now before the birds have a tasty meal of your hard work. With shrubs this is easy to achieve but with cherry trees maybe a larger piece is required but worth it. Keep weeds away from the base of the shrubs.
• Lawns
  Keep lawns cut regularly but in hot weather do not cut too short. Keep all edges neat and tidy to prevent weeds from getting into flower borders. Look at the
  lawn, will it need scarifying come autumn, are weeds a problem or moss? Remember this for autumns work to be done on the lawns. Mulching should be done only once a month, and every week remove the grass clippings otherwise the lawn will have too much thatch inside the grass blades and cause many problems.
• Sweet peas
  Keep on picking the flowers all summer long to prevent them from going to seed.
• Cuttings
  In summer there are many opportunities to take cuttings from shrubs, trees and even perennials. These will be soft wood cuttings but by following a few simple rules you should have plenty of success. On hot days you must have a plastic bag to place cuttings in immediately upon picking. This prevents them from wilting (transpiration). Try to get the cuttings into compost as soon as possible from picking. Place a plastic bag, tied with an elastic band over the top of the pot. Label and water once a week for six weeks. After six weeks roots will be forming. Leave until the end of summer when you can tweeze cuttings apart and pot into larger pots.
• Perennials
  Cut back perennials from the spring flush. Some of these will produce another set of flowers like Geraniums and plants like Pulmonarias will grow a new set of leaves that will be fresher looking. Use supports for tall floppy plants sometimes cutting back spring flowers and moving supports to late summer perennials.
• Houseplants
  Keep an eye out for pests in the house too. In dry conditions pests can thrive indoors. Aphids and scale insects especially enjoy this and can seriously harm your house plants. Water every week thoroughly and liquid feed every week after a good watering. Spray houseplants with a ‘mister spray’ twice a week to keep a humid atmosphere around the plants. Take cuttings of your favourite plants for friends and family if it is admired. Plants like scented Geraniums, Christmas cacti and spider plants. Soak all orchids for an hour or two in rainwater and drain well after. Give a liquid orchid fertiliser if in flower. Spray regularly.

Happy gardening folks!