General gardening jobs
In the vegetable garden earth up potatoes, covering the shoots with soil as they appear. Start sowing runner, dwarf and climbing French beans outdoors and harvest your delicious rhubarb whilst feeding the plants regularly. In the flower garden plant dahlia tubers after the risk of frost has passed. Sow annuals such as cosmos, marigolds and sunflowers directly into borders. Open greenhouse windows wide on warm days and water plants regularly. Mow your lawn regularly and begin to apply nitrogen-rich summer lawn feed. Consider varnishing, treating or painting any outside furniture to spruce it up for use.
Hanging baskets
With so much choice available, the type of hanging basket you choose will depend on several factors, including cost, amount of maintenance required and your personal tastes.
Lined hanging baskets are very popular and traditional. They consist of a simple cage of metal or woven natural material which will require a lining of moss, coir, plastic or a mixture of materials. They look great and can be used year after year, although they tend to dry out quickly so will require more maintenance, an irrigation system or perhaps water storing granules.
Simple plastic hanging baskets are cheap to buy and easy to plant, often coming ready-planted, and they retain water well. They generally don’t last as long as lined baskets but could easily last a few years with careful use. They are also very strong.
Bloom around baskets also tend to be plastic, so retain water well but they have special holes or ‘gates’ in the sides to allow you to plant at the sides and top for a stunning look.
Wall baskets, or hay racks, attach directly to a wall. They are strong and enduring and tend to be large enough for a magnificent display. They are a good choice for exposed spots.
Stone-effect hanging baskets are contemporary, sleek and stylish and make the basket a real part of the feature. They do tend to cost more, but can last for years.
Once you have selected your hanging basket, place a few pebbles in the bottom to aid drainage. Fill with a peat-free compost and plant up. Begonias look stunning and are low maintenance and last well and the trailing varieties work well. Fuchsias, petunias, geraniums and lobelia offer a good choice of colour. Water thoroughly before hanging!
