Sun to warm the soil and long days stretching almost to bedtime are a delight to gardeners who never have enough time to keep all their plants watered, fed and cared for. If the weather pundits are right we are due for a scorching summer, so it's time to prepare the garden with water-holding granules and surface mulches that look both attractive and reduce evaporation from soil surfaces.

WEEDS

If garden plants are growing strongly you can be sure weeds are growing even stronger. In the flower bed and between vegetables the biggest culprits are the annual weeds like groundsel, annual meadow grass and chickweed. They need to be clobbered while small with a quick-acting weedkiller such as Weedol Gun! MAX, which shows visible results in just 1 hour and allows sowing or replanting immediately after the spray has dried.

But being fastest isn't always the best. Not if you need to control weeds such as bindweed, ground elder and creeping couch grass that have long, tough roots. These culprits need the power of a Roundup weedkiller that not only kills the plant but also kills the roots. Applied through the leaves of the weed, Fast Action Roundup Ready To Use Weedkiller is best applied on a dry, warm day when rain is not expected. That's because the weedkiller needs several hours to be absorbed sufficiently by the leaves to kill the whole plant. And it's worth remembering that although you will see the first signs of weed kill in a day or two it takes at least a week for the whole root to be killed, so you should not cut back the weed foliage or cultivate the soil around the weeds for at least a fortnight. For large areas of weeds Roundup have launched a new Pump and Spray bottle that gives up to 3 minutes of continuous spraying from a full charge of the bottle.

Gravel drives, paths and unused areas also provide good homes for weeds to establish, but they need a different type of weedkiller that will give long-term protection from new weeds. The best on the market is Pathclear Weedkiller PC. This contains three herbicides to effectively kill all manner of weeds including the deep-rooted tough ones and a weed preventer that creates a layer on the surface that prevents re-growth of weeds for up to 3 months. Just one application in June should see your gravel path or drive weed-free for the rest of the summer.

Timely Tip

When spraying weedkillers use a piece of cardboard to protect your wanted plants from any misdirected spray. If you should accidentally spray a wanted plant, then wash off the weedkiller immediately using plenty of clean water.

LAWN CARE

At this time of the year lawn grass will be galloping into growth thanks to warm weather and moist soil from occasional showers. While the lawn expert will be mowing his grass twice a week to keep a perfect lawn in trim; the rest of us will probably find that cutting once a week will have to do. If you have some extra time in the twilight to whip over the grass more frequently do try. It takes a lot less time because there are less cuttings to dispose of and it will be beneficial to encouraging a thicker lawn.

Even better for thickening the grass up in summer is to feed the lawn. If you think you are faced with a dry spell then using a soluble lawn food will pay dividends as you will be watering and feeding at the same time. Many people with small lawns like the accuracy of dissolving Miracle-Gro Water Soluble Lawn Food crystals into a watering can and applying this solution gradually over the lawn. Feeding like this will ensure a greener lawn in just 5 days and the roots will be thoroughly watered at the same time. If your lawn is larger, then pouring the crystals into a Miracle-Gro Feeder and connecting it to your water hose will allow you to water and feed your lawn in just a few minutes. If you already own the Miracle-Gro Liquafeed system then you can buy special refill bottles to screw into the device called Liquafeed Lush Lawn Food which promises to green-up the grass in just 3 days.

If you spot some weeds marring the beauty of your rich green grass, give them a shot from the Verdone Extra Ready to Use to control all manner of broad-leaved weeds without damaging the grass.

Timely Tip

Don't scalp the grass when mowing. If you cut it regularly to around 2.5 cm (1") it will look greener, feel softer and eventually grow thicker than the lawn that is cut short to 1cm at irregular intervals.

THE FLOWER GARDEN

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Complete the planting of tender bedding plants and tropical exotics that will beautify your garden this summer. If your soil is stony or sandy, the roots of these plants will need to be able to draw moisture and nutrients from the soil. The traditional way is to add a handful or two of organic matter in the bottom of each planting hole. Miracle-Gro Eco Sense Soil Improver will do a great job as it already contains enough nutrients to feed your plants for up to three months and assuming you water the plants in immediately after planting they should burst into growth. The modern way is to mix in a magic product such as Miracle-Gro Moisture Control Plant Food into the soil. In one simple packet are water-absorbing crystals that can absorb 300% of their own weight in water combined with slow release plant food granules that release balanced plant nutrients over the next six months.

Whatever method you choose, all these plants must be watered into the soil so the surrounding soil is thoroughly moist.

After your flower beds have been planted, you can improve the visual beauty factor of the bed by 100% if you finish off the job with a mulch layer of bark chips. Spread all over the soil to a depth of 5cm (2") bags of Miracle-Gro Moisture Control Natural Pine Bark. This organic layer keeps roots cool, minimises the establishment of weeds and helps the soil retain moisture six times longer than ordinary garden soil. If you have any bark over, then a layer placed under rose bushes and around philadelphus, peony and dahlias will make a world of difference to their wellbeing.

The white powdery deposits of rose mildew may well be spotted in June, especially if the weather is warm and dry. At the first signs of the disease spray your roses with RoseClear 3 or RoseClear 3 Gun! and repeat at fortnightly intervals throughout the summer.

Watch all your flowering plants for the first signs of summer pests. Sweet peas and roses will usually be first to show greenfly infestations and French marigolds will harbour the first of the caterpillars. For quick control simply spray thoroughly with BugClear Ultra Gun! to kill the existing pests and protect your decorative plants for 3 weeks after spraying.

If your clumps of primulas have grown together in a thick mat it's time to dig them out, separate into individual plants and replant with some space between each. While the roots are out of the soil, check for roots that have been nibbled or otherwise damaged by the larvae of the black vine weevil larvae. You may even spot the larvae which are white C-shaped grubs with a brown head. If you can pick out the larvae you will need to water the soil with a solution of BugClear Ultra Vine Weevil Killer to make sure it is clean.

Tall plants such as delphiniums, dahlias and rudbeckia will only stay upright with the help of a stake placed firmly beside each plant and for the plant stems to be tied to these supports.

Timely Tip

In all the rush to prepare the garden for this summer, don't forget it's the perfect time to sow the seeds of wallflowers and other biennials that will bloom next year. Other suitable subjects are foxgloves, Canterbury bells and angelica.

PATIO GARDENING

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Now that the risk of frost is over, it's time to complete the planting of patio containers, tubs and hanging baskets with tender plants such as fuchsia, geraniums, regal pelargoniums and busy lizzies. Don't forget that the hard edges of containers are best softened with trailing plants such as purple verbena, blue lobelia, yellow bidens or white bacopa.

Foliage plants mixed with the flowering ones will add a contrast of leaf shape and texture. The silver leafed Cineraria maritima is a popular upright foliage plant that adds some contrast to bright flowers and so will trailing ivies and silver Dichondra Silver Falls.

Flowers aren't always essential for interesting patio planters. hostas, begonia rex and coleus will provide colour and texture throughout the summer.

Check your chosen container has drainage holes and cover these with some stones or broken crocks to ensure there is good drainage. Add the best compost you can afford - Levington Container & Hanging Basket Compost and Miracle-Gro Moisture Control Compost are extremely rich in available nutrients and trace elements and will get your plants off to a flying start.

As an added benefit Miracle-Gro Moisture Control Compost contains an exclusive Aquacoir formula that absorbs twice as much water as an ordinary multi-purpose compost and slow release plant foods to ensure your container plants are fed for the rest of the flowering year.

There are pros and cons for planting hostas in patio pots. On the positive side it means they are out of reach of most slugs, although snails are pretty adept at climbing into pots in wet weather. The negative is that they need watering regularly and feeding occasionally, although these jobs can be minimised with the help of Miracle-Gro Moisture Control Compost. With that said, all pots need the same care and attention, so if slugs are a menace in your garden get them potted up now.

To keep slug populations under control in the remaining beds and borders water SlugClear over and around plants that need protection. This concentrate is diluted in water before application and leaves no visible bait that could otherwise be found by inquisitive pets or wildlife.

Timely Tip

Watch for the appearance of the first bright red lily beetle on the foliage of your pots of lilies and to prevent further damage spray the plants thoroughly with BugClear Ultra Gun! This contains a systemic pest killer that gets inside the plant to give protection from newly emerging larvae for up to 3 weeks.

GROWN YOUR OWN VEGETABLES

Tomatoes are the heart of tasty summer salads and pizza toppings. And everyone, including the kids, can get involved in their nurture. All you need are some big pillow-shaped bags of enriched compost in which to grow the plants, some Tomorite plant food to ensure the resulting fruits are big, juicy and full of flavour and someone to remember to water the bags regularly. Buy several Levington Tomorite Giant Planters and find them a sunny spot in the garden or on the patio where the tomatoes can grow.

If you need help in how to plant your tomatoes, go to www.lovethegarden.com and click on the 'It's time to grow your own pizza' project. The video will show you how to plant 3 tomatoes per bag and how to get the best results. It is so simple you could let the youngsters get involved. You can use similar Planters to grow herbs such as basil and coriander and other fruits such as sweet peppers, mild chilli and purple aubergines.

Your local garden centre will have seedling plants of runner beans, dwarf green beans, sweet corn, peas, courgettes and cabbages ready for planting out in improved soil. But you can't avoid sowing from seed for all vegetable crops. No root crops can easily be transplanted because the roots need to grow undisturbed in the soil throughout its life. So for carrots, turnips and parsnips you will need to sow seeds directly where they are going to grow. And because the roots appreciate a really fine soil that is free from stones and debris you will need to either sieve the soil or grow them in a bag of compost. New this year is the Miracle-Gro Potato & Vegetable gro-sac that will make a great home in which to grow potatoes, onions as well as a good crop of carrots. Take out a few handfuls of the compost and sow the seeds of a variety such as Early Nantes or Sugersnax thinly on the compost surface. Cover the seeds with a light dusting of the removed compost. Alternatively you can fill a large plastic pot at least 30cm (12") deep with Levington Multi-Purpose Compost and sow more carrot seeds in there. After germination thin out the seedlings so that there is space around each individual carrot of at least 1cm.

Herbs planted together in a large pot are very handy when placed near the kitchen door and can be decorative too. Purple splashed sage, variegated thyme; chives, basil and marjoram are all suitable pot-mates to cram in together. When it comes to the more rampant applemint, peppermint and the common spearmint, keep the roots restricted in a pot, preferably sunk up to its rim in the border, otherwise its roots will run through the garden like a weed.

Timely Tip

Don't forget to sow more peas for a late summer crop and if you like them, and have the room, that winter favourite - swede.

FRUIT GROWING

Strawberries should start to fruit later in the month and deserve a good feed now to encourage maximum production and a good flavour. The blue crystals of Miracle-Gro Water Soluble Plant Food now come in a handy one-dose sachet. Called Miracle-Gro Singles they are quick and easy to tip into a watering can without measuring or mess. Each dose makes up one gallon (4.5 litres) of full strength feed that will encourage all fruit, whether strawberries, raspberries, blackcurrants or redcurrants to produce a good tasty crop.

Thin out overcrowded fruits on plums and peaches to make sure you have a smaller number of big, juicy and ripe fruits that don't exhaust the tree. Plums need a gap of 5-8cm (2"-3") between fruits and peaches a gap of 15-20cm (6"-9") depending on the strength of the branch. Your thinning will not only help produce ripe fruits, but will prevent the plum tree branches breaking from the weight of the crop.

Timely Tip

Strawberries should be protected from mud splashes with matting or straw. Before this material is placed in position water the soil with SlugClear and when it is down scatter a few pellets of SlugClear Advanced Pellets around to catch slugs and snails that come in over the top.

GARDENING INFORMATION FROM The Scotts Company (UK) Limited

WRITTEN BY JOHN CLOWES

ALWAYS READ THE LABEL. USE PESTICIDES SAFELY
BugClear Ultra for Pots contains acetamiprid. FungusClear Ultra contains triticonazole. Pathclear Weedkiller PC and Pathclear Gun! Weedkiller contains glyphosate, oxadiazon and diflufenican. Pathclear Weedkiller LC contains glyphosate and diflufenican. Scotts® Lawn Builder® plus Moss Control contains ferrous sulphate. SlugClear™ and SlugClear™ Advanced Pellets contain metaldehyde. Weedol® MAX™ and Weedol® Gun!™ MAX contain pelargonic acid. We recommend you always wear gloves when gardening. ®, ™, Miracle-Gro, Osmocote, EverGreen and Levington are registered Trade Marks of The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company LLC or its subsidiaries.