For most people, June marks the official start of Summer, making it the month they want to pick up the gardening tools to prepare for the warm months ahead.
And if you want to ensure you turn your garden into an enviable space, there are 10 jobs you should focus on, according to star gardener Ade Sellars from Country Living.
Among them, are planting flowers and fruit, and protecting them by warding off pesky pests.
During Spring, many flowers come and go, leaving your borders with gaps, and less than perfectly defined.
But you can remedy this and add a vibrant pop of colour to your garden. For fast growing plants, opt for sunflowers that can be sown directly into the soil, or bright dahlias which you can grow now that there’s no frost about.
However, it’s important to note that as temperatures rise, so too does the risk of pesky critters in your garden.
Among them are lily beetles, which are one you should especially look out for if you’re keen on sunflowers. Check carefully under the leaves of the prominent flower and get rid of the bugs as soon as you find them.
Another pest you may find is red mite, who are likely to be making a home in your greenhouse – but you can combat this by keeping the space well-ventilated.
The heat also means you’re more likely to come across weeds, which will need to be removed if you have fish in your pond.
It’s also time to start thinking about hardening Summer bedding plants off (hardening off is when you take your indoor-grown plants, and acclimatise them to outdoor conditions). You can always use pots or containers if flowerbed space is limited.
Ade said in Country Living: ‘Ensure containers don’t dry out by establishing a regular watering and feeding regime.’
He added that June is also the best time to take cuttings from the tips of your chosen shrub, whether it’s lavender, fuchsia, or forsythia.
For the 10cm cuttings, the gardening presenter suggested you make a sharp horizontal cut beneath the leaves, before removing lower leaves and buds.
Then, fill a pot with compost, and put the cuttings in, in parallel to the pot’s side, taking care to space them evenly. Pop this in a greenhouse if you have one, or on a warm windowsill. Water it regularly.
When lavender flowers, you can move the cuttings indoors after gathering and tying up. Pop them in your bedroom if you want the clean, fresh scent lining your house.
For the best tomato crop, you’ll want to pinch out the tree’s side-shoots, and make sure the plant is secure and any cordon tomatoes are tied up.
With flowers finally on the plant, June’s the time to rinse tomatoes with a weekly potash to nourish and encourage the plant to fruit. You can also apply the same process to chilli plants, peppers and aubergine.
Also in June, roses and similar flowers will need a lot of feeding – so keep on top of a solid watering regime.
And when it comes to your garden’s pride and joy – your lawn, you must mow it weekly and trim as and when needed. Water it when temperatures are lower so that less water evaporates.