JOBS TO DO THIS WEEK

Most houseplants are in active growth now so will need regular watering and feeding.

Earth up potatoes. New potatoes may be ready to harvest, depending on when planted.

Check brassicas (cabbages, broccoli, turnips, Brussel sprouts) for butterflies laying eggs – often found on the underside of leaves. Remove them as hatched caterpillars can exfoliate your plant.

Pop a few nasturtium seeds in the ground or pots for a cascade of flowers, pictured, in late summer.

Keep fruit bushes well watered during dry spells to allow the fruit to swell. Plums, pears and apples can all be thinned out this month. The June drop happens naturally – but for bigger fruit, remove some of the smaller fruitlets.

Prune spring flowering deciduous shrubs such as kerria, forsythia, ribes and weigela as soon as they are finished flowering.