Keep it lovely for longer

Your outdoor space is looking gorgeous right about now, so here’s how to keep it that way long into the autumn

Tips to make the most of your garden or plot this year

The first flush of exuberance is over in the garden and it’s now settling into the comfortable maturity of high summer. And what do most people do? Go away, leave it all to fend for itself, then come back to borders that are looking past their best, or sit back with a good book and let it wither. So, whether you’re at home with the BBQ sizzling or off on a much-needed break, here are some ideas to help you extend the glory of your plot.

Keep deadheading flowers as they die off

– think repeat-flowering roses, bedding plants and perennials such as salvias or geraniums. This will encourage them to bloom again later in the season.

If you haven’t already got late-flowering perennials,

like rudbeckias, echinaceas, asters and sedums, a quick trip to the garden centre should sort that out. Water them well once planted and keep them watered so that their root systems can establish in the soil. They should give you lovely rich tones to see you through until the frosts – and the bees and butterflies will appreciate them, too.

Cheat with lilies and dahlias,

which should be available in flower in the garden centres. Keep them in pots, to replace any flowering displays that are past their best. You can plant lilies into the border once flowering is over, so they’ll bloom next year; the same goes for dahlias, though in cold areas it’s best to lift them before they get caught by hard frosts – you can store the tubers under cover. >>

Pick your runner beans and courgettes regularly

to keep the plants cropping. If you’re sick of the sight of them, give them away – or learn the art of chutney making! If your herbs, such as parsley, coriander and mint, are looking a bit ‘stalky’, give them a cut and they should soon be producing plenty of fresh shoots.

Sweet peas will go to seed if you don’t keep picking them,

so fill your house with bunches of their scented blooms. If you’re going away, tell the person you’ve persuaded to water the garden to help themselves!

It’s stating the obvious, but your plants will need water to survive.

The best time to do this is early morning or in the evening, so that they can extract maximum benefit from the irrigation, rather than having to compete with the sun. A sprinkler set at midday to randomly spray around the place is not the most efficient use of a precious resource: instead, if you can afford it, invest in an irrigation system (Hozelock has a good range, from about £35, hozelock.com), which can include a timer. If you’re going round the garden with a hose or a watering can, direct the spray at the soil, rather than over the leaves, as this will get the water straight to the roots, where it will be of most benefit. If time is limited, concentrate on your containers first, as they will dry out faster than the borders.

Going on holiday?

If you have a kind neighbour who’s agreed to water for you, you can make life easier for them by grouping containers together, so they don’t have to lug the hosepipe or a heavy watering can around the garden. Alternatively, move your pots to a shady spot, stand them in saucers to collect any rainfall and give them a good soaking before you leave.

There are still plenty of vegetables you can sow

for late crops (if you’re going away, do it just before, so you don’t have the problem of young seedlings to water).

Keep on with the carrots, chard, dwarf French beans and salads, to extend their season. Winter crops, such as perpetual spinach, calabrese and winter radishes, can be started off too.

Keep on top of the weeding,

so the weeds don’t get on top of you. Run a hoe through your borders or veg beds to lift their roots and the sun will soon kill them off.

Make sure you give the lawn a good cut

before you leave as a shaggy meadow screams to anyone who can see it, ‘There’s no one at home’! Don’t give it a severe scalping if the weather’s hot – or forecasted to be – though, as it’ll turn brown. A neat trim will do. If you do come back to a patch of singed blades, however, don’t despair as the autumn rains will soon revive its colour.

Finally, relax…

If it’s so hot that you can’t contemplate getting out of your deckchair to do a bit of weeding, don’t! Instead, have a browse through the autumn catalogues to choose your spring-flowering bulbs. The earlier you put your order in, the better the choice you’ll have