Must do's for this month

Jobs that won't wait
Check regularly to see if plants need water. New plantings, seedlings and plants in containers are all particularly vulnerable and may need water every day. In the vegetable garden leafy plants such as lettuces and spinach, fruiting crops such as tomatoes and marrows, and peas and beans as their pods begin to swell, will all suffer if they don't get enough water.

Weed and deadhead regularly, checking for pests and diseases at the same time.

Sow biennials, herbs and vegetables. Plant autumn flowering bulbs.

Plant out seedlings and rooted cuttings.

Disbud appropriate plants for larger blooms.

Harvest seeds as soon as they are ripe.

Harvest fruit, vegetables and herbs while they are in prime condition. Freeze, store or give away produce if you cannot use it all immediately.

Plant Madonna lilies (lilium candidum) as soon as possible.

Trim and reshape hedges.

Top up the water and aerate it if you see fish gasping for oxygen in hot weather, or if fish sensitive to low oxygen levels - such as orfe - start to die.



Information in this section comes from Reader's Digest New Gardening Year - a month-by-month guide to success in your garden

July Planting guide with Avon Mill Garden Centre

It is high summer and the garden is now full of colour. Summer bedding is often at its best at this time, but if the weather is dry the grass may start to look parched and brown and the leaves on the trees and shrubs no longer look as fresh and green as they did in May and early June.

July can often be hot, too hot to do physical work during the day, and watering and deadheading will be as much as most people want to do until the cool of the evening.

It is the time of the year when there are fewer jobs needing to be done and many people simply want to relax and enjoy their garden. Try to find time to sit in or walk round your garden to look at the flowers and shrubs, appreciate the foliage, and study the wildlife that a garden always attracts.

This is not the time of year to undertake heavy construction jobs, but if you spend time in the garden you will often get new ideas and can make plans for the future.

You will have more time to relax if you install an automatic watering system. Many are available in kit form from garden centres or by mail order and these are simple to install and can usually be tailored to individual gardens. The initial outlay may seem high but the system should continue working and benefit your garden for many years.