TO DO LIST

Organise holiday cover for the garden, greenhouse and indoor plants, if you are going away, mow the lawn and bring weeding up to date.

Otherwise water everything well before you go and sink tubs and hanging baskets halfway to their rims in moist soil in a cool shady part of the garden to help them survive. Remove all the fully open flowers from bedding plants, so a new flush is just opening when you get home.

Keep on top of cutting courgettes and picking beans, below. If they are not needed straight away, then give them away or freeze your surplus to keep the plants productive.