Colin Evans

We've seen some really heavy rain in the last few days. Already the grass is greening up and the shrubs and trees are looking much better. Their tired image has been replaced by with a fresh washed look.

However, don't fall into the trap of forgetting to water your plants. The heat is still in the sun and when it comes through the cloud, it's still very hot.

Matrona

Keep up the watering, especially on hanging baskets and other containers. Also, make sure the vegetables and fruit are looked after.

Don't forget the plants in the conservatory, as during the day, buildings can heat up to high temperatures. Many conservatory plants die in the summer because they just can't take the heat.

Remember to keep them all well watered and ventilated, whenever possible. A misting over with tepid water will also help keep the foliage refreshed.

Sedum is a group of fleshy border container and Alpine plants. They are wonderful for creating bright colours in the garden during Autumn.

This group of plants will do well in poor soils so will thrive in most gardens. Sedum also looks good on patios and balconies when planted in terra cotta pots, topped with gravel.

Sedum Frosty Morn

This also works well in cold greenhouses over the winter months. My favourite is the 'Purple Emporer'. They are bright purple, on both the fleshy stems and flowers. Then there's the 'Matrona' which is pinky white and the greyish pink of 'Frosty Morn'.

Topical tips

1. Start to collect up all the fallen apples and pears, especially if they drop onto the lawn. The mower will crush them and leave a slushy mess, which smells rather unpleasant. When the rot sets in, it encourages wasps to congregate in large numbers.

2. While the rain is freshening, seize the opportunity to aerate the lawn. The soil will be softer, which means you can get the garden fork or a special implement down below the grass roots.

Pears

This opens up the soil and lets valuable air below the lawn, as well as allowing surface moisture to drain away.

3. Some of the summer flowering Clematis will have flowered by now so prune back invasive growth by about half. If the plants are growing along a fence or wall and are tending to make upward growth, train the main stems horizontally.

This helps slow down the upward rate of growth. It also means the flowers will be better next year, as they'll be supported by sturdier stems. Once pruned and trained, some Sulphate of Potash should be spread at the base of the plant to boost growth, ready for next spring.

Happy Gardening