Summer is well and truly on its way but be watchful and keep an eye on the weather forecast; the occasional frost can still occur at this time of year.

• Don’t plant out tender bedding plants until the middle of the month. Be prepared to protect from the elements if you think it might be necessary
• The soil is beginning to warm up so it’s a good time to apply a general fertiliser. Any of the well-known brands will be fine
• As the weather continues to warm up slugs and snails become more active; control with slug pellets (pet friendly), or remove by hand
• Tie in climbing and rambling roses
• Now is a good time to repair bare patches in established lawns. It’s also a good time to sow new lawns
• Direct drill (sow) hardy annual seeds into the soil
• Direct drill vegetable seeds; mix some radish seed in with your other seeds; these will germinate first, revealing where the row of seed is
• Start watering house plants more frequently

Do you know the difference between a rambling rose and a climbing rose?

Although there are exceptions, rambling roses tend to flower just once but have an enormous impact because of a mass of small flowers. The climbing rose is more upright than a rambling rose, and in general, has larger blooms and continues to flower throughout summer and autumn.