Over the next few months, more of us will begin to venture out into our gardens to enjoy the sights and smells of summertime.
So to get it looking its best - and to mark International Gardening Week - we asked landscape gardener Jim Cross for his top tips for making the very most of your garden.
1. Time your mowing carefully
Cut your lawn either early in the morning or when the sun has set to ensure the freshly cut grass doesn’t get readily exposed to sunlight. so as not to scorch it.
2. Don't drown your flowers and plants
Make sure you water them slowly and evenly around the soil and roots, or at the base of the pot if they have been planted.
3. Aerate the grass
Once your lawn has been mowed, aerate the grass by making a number of small perforations in the soil with a fork so air, water and nutrients can be absorbed into the lawn.
By doing this, the soil compaction is alleviated, which helps to produce a stronger patch of grass.
4. Use a water butt
Be kind to the environment by purchasing and using your own water butt. Our Great British Summer will inevitably involve some rain - so collect it and feed your garden shrubbery with the recycled water.
5. Keep weeds at bay
To keep your garden weed-free, regularly turn your soil with a fork or hoe and cover with a layer of bark chips.
6. Feed your flowers regularly
Ensure all of the flowers and plants in your garden have been fed at least once a week to aid their growth, and moreso when there has been a particularly hot day or a long spell with little rainfall.
Some of the best flowers and plants to buy for the summer months are buxus, petunias, geraniums and sophinias for hanging baskets.
