June’s gardening tips for the UK

· Plant up hanging baskets and tubs, water daily when the sun is not on them.

· Hopefully we have seen the last of the frosts. Summer bedding plants can safely be planted out.

· Mowing should now be done with the blades set low, unless the weather is very dry – in such conditions a medium setting will be better for the grass. Mow the lawn weekly. Apply a weed and feed to established lawns. Water in with a hose after a few days if it hasn't rained. (if you have a hose pipe ban do not apply fertilizes or feed as they can ‘burn’ the lawn.

· Move house plants out side and re-pot if necessary

· Check the ties on climbers, flower stems and standard roses - the tops of plants can get very heavy when in full bloom or when wet.

· Dead head faded flowers to encourage prolonged flowering.

· Apple and pear trees shed some of the young fruit, this is known as ‘june drop’ and is perfectly normal.

· Add mulch to the base of your sweet peas, remove the tendrils and pinch out side shoots.

· Feed Fuchsias each week to encourage flowers and healthy growth.

· Evergreen hedges and topiary of yew, privet, box, Lonicera nitida and Leyland cypress can be clipped this month and given a light feed of all-purpose plant food.

· Sow salad seeds.

· Lift, divide and replant chives.

· Your pond may have started to turn green and cloudy. This is due to a rapid increase in algae, which flourish in the warmer spring temperatures. Once the pond plants start to grow again, especially the oxygenating plants, these will use up the nutrients and create shade, reducing the amount of algae. To speed up the clearing of the water, drop a string bag of barley straw into the pond. As it begins to breakdown, it will use up the excess nutrients, reducing the amount of algae and also blanket weed. If you have a fountain or waterfall, try to position the barley underneath this, in still ponds weigh it down so it floats just below the surface of the water. Remove the barley after about six months, before it completely rots down, polluting the water. If you have a pond with fish but no fountain, oxygenate the water in hot weather by spraying in fresh water from a hose. This is especially important in shallow pools

Hampton Court Palace