Use water butts as much as possible and water your containers and baskets well in hot weather. Start to feed them with a balanced liquid fertiliser every 2 to 4 weeks.

Make small 'wells' around individual plants so that the water can soak the soil to about 25cm (10in). Merely wetting the surface wastes water, encourages weeds and can lead to surface rooting making plants more vulnerable.

Keep removing blanket weed from your pond to allow the plants and fish room to breathe.

Keep an eye out for white powdery mildew on plants. If possible, remove the affected parts and spray with a fungicide to prevent further spread.

Look for aphids on the underside of leaves - rub them off by hand or spray with an insecticide to prevent them multiplying. Alternatively try using a natural pest control such as Lacewing larvae

Keep an eye out for scarlet lily beetles on your lilies - remove and crush any you see. Also check for the sticky brown larvae on the underside of leaves.

Check for vine weevils by tipping your plants out of their pots and looking for 'C' shaped creamy maggots amongst the roots. Treat with nematodes if vine weevils are spotted.

Invest in pest control to prevent slugs attacking your young plants.

Clip evergreen hedges such as privet, box and yew while they're in active growth.

Open greenhouse vents and doors on warm days.

Check plants in your greenhouse daily and water them if the soil is dry.

Damp down your greenhouse on hot days to increase humidity and deter red spider mites.

Turn the compost in your bins every month to keep it well aerated.

Keep bird baths topped up in hot weather.

Looking after the lawn in June

If there hasn’t been much rain, raise your mower blades to reduce stress on the grass.

Water your lawn during hot weather, particularly newly seeded or turfed lawns. Keep new lawns well-watered.

Warm weather encourages rapid weed growth - apply specific lawn weed killer to tackle them.

Feed your lawn with a special lawn fertiliser to encourage healthy green growth

Recut lawn edges, or install lawn edging to make future maintenance easier.

Here are some other jobs to be getting on with this month, unfortunately some of it is hard work:

Check compost bins to see if you have any compost that’s ready to use.

Improve the drainage of heavy soils by incorporating plenty of organic matter.

Top up raised beds with compost and good quality topsoil.

Top dress containers with fresh compost. If your containers are already full, replace the top 5 cm of old compost with fresh stuff.

Keep on top of weeding now that the weather is warming up. Run a hoe through beds and borders.

Look out for signs of pests and diseases, early prevention is easier than curing an infestation.

Remove dirt from your paths and paving before summer arrives. Use a pressure washer or special patio cleaner.

Buy fresh potting compost from your local garden centre and store it in a cool, dry place in preparation for the season ahead.

Invest in water butts. Position them under a downpipe to make the most of rainfall.

Top up bird baths and bird feeders to encourage birds into your garden.

January Jobs

January is the beginning of the gardening year – a time for fresh starts, renewed energy, and grand plans for the twelve months ahead.

Put your new-year enthusiasm to good use by cleaning pots, tools, water butts and greenhouses in preparation for spring. It’s not the most glamorous of tasks, but it will set you up for a great growing season.

Start planning what you want to do with your garden in the months to come. Now is the time to order seeds and plants from the comfort of your armchair (see below)

Check your winter protection is still working for you – survey any stakes, supports and ties that might have been damaged in bad weather.

Continue looking after wildlife – put out food for hungry birds and continue to leave some areas of your garden uncut for shelter until the spring.

More to come......

August time in the garden

Here are some other jobs to keep on top of during August:

Here’s what to be getting on with in the flower garden this month:

Start with these four garden tasks this month:

Here’s how to look after your lawn this March:

Here are some of the other jobs to do around the garden this February:

Use February to get yourself properly prepared for springtime. The following jobs will set you up for your best growing season yet: