Colin Evans

We're still seeing hot weather, and the lawns are looking parched, as it takes little time for the lack of rain to take effect, so watering night and morning are essential if you want your lawn to look lush.

Colin's already been on the mower

Don't worry if you are going away on holiday though as lawns recover very swiftly once the rain gets into the root system.

Some plants, especially the southern European types just love the sun. However ferns, hostas and other tender types more unused to our northern climate will get burnt very quickly. So make sure plants in pots are not only fed and watered but get moved to the shade on very hot afternoons.

Temperatures in the last few days have reached over 40 degrees Celsius on the terrace at the rear of my house which faces south.

Wonderful in the winter when light and some heat is required in the garden, but on summer days enough to curl even the sturdiest of leaf structures.

Most of us have at least one fuchsia variety in our garden and generally they are the bush types, but, now if you want something just a bit different then try the new climbing types.

Fuchsia Tom Thumb

FUCHSIA "Lady Boothby" is a vigorous fuchsia which easily reaches two meters every season and is superb against walls or fences. This unusual plant flowers from June through until late autumn.

The pretty drooping flowers in dark pink with a purple centre will give colour all through the growing season and the plant is easy to grow and is very hardy. The best position is a sunny or partly shaded, fertile well drained spot.

TOPICAL TIPS:

1: Compost heaps will be drying out and its important to water them to
help the process of decomposition if you want soft compost to add to the borders next spring. Add a compost accelerator as well and make sure the edges of the heap are well compacted helping the breaking down of dry matter into valuable compost.

2: Hybrid tea Roses should be dead headed regularly unless you want
to keep the Hips for propagation later in the year. This month check for insect pests especially aphids, red spider mite, thrips, caterpillars and fungal diseases like black spot and mildew and spray the relevant control liquids.

Roses

3: Give fast growing hedges their second cut of the year especially
privet and thorns. Hornbeam, beech, euonymus, hazel, holly and pyracantha should also be given a trim and conifer hedges will benefit from a light clipping, although, watch out for birds still nesting with their second clutch of eggs or chicks.

Happy Gardening