Do it now

Cut back Mexican bush sage (Salvia leucantha) and other summer-blooming salvias (above), and remove old shoots completely at ground level

Sprinkle dolomite over the lawn to sweeten the soil and help reduce the growth of acid-loving weeds

Prune Cootamundra wattle (Acacia baileyana) and Queensland silver wattle (A. podalyriifolia) after flowering to remove developing seed pods and prevent the spread of seed into bushland

Transplant deciduous shrubs and trees as soon as they are bare of leaves

Prune groundcover roses back to about one-third using hedge shears

Continue collecting fallen leaves and spread them onto garden beds as mulch, or add them to the compost heap

Remove old banksia flowers to tidy the plants and encourage them to produce more blooms

Pinch out the tips of developing annuals, such as pansy, primula and wallflower, to promote bushier growth

Sow seed of cool-season grasses, such as rye or fescue, into any bare patches in the lawn

Start a compost heap or a worm farm in your garden to celebrate

World Environment Day on June 5