A reliable indicator that summer is well on the way is the arrival of the first garden shows. Take some time for a great day out at a garden show or visit some of the many gardens that will be opening up to the public to glean ideas and inspiration. Between visiting flower shows, there’s plenty to do in your own garden.

Continue to deadhead spring flowering bulbs that have gone over. This allows the bulb to store up more energy to produce flowers next year. You must leave the foliage intact for at least six weeks after flowering, but simply snap off the flower heads with your fingers or a pair of secateurs. Use a general organic fertiliser around the base of the bulbs to encourage the development of new flowers for next year.

Containers can be planted up with summer bedding plants from about the middle of May. It’s worth removing the old compost if it has been in your container since last year. The new compost will give your plants a better start. Add water-retaining granules and slow-release fertiliser to keep the container fed all summer. Remember, containers dry out very quickly so if you’re planning to keep a dazzling display going for the whole summer – keep watering or set up an irrigation system.

If you planted new shrubs and trees over the winter keep an eye on them, especially in dry weather. A few days of sun, accompanied by drying winds, will dry out the soil surprisingly quickly so watering may have to be done on a daily basis. Any organic matter, such as well rotted manure, garden compost or even a layer of grass clippings applied as a mulch, will help with retaining water. If possible, water in the evening when there is less chance of water evaporating in the heat of the day.

Prune spring flowering shrubs once they have finished flowering. Examples are things like Kerria Japonica, Forsythia, and Spirea. Also, if you have one, prune the glorious Clematis Montana after it has flowered. This beauty is a very fast-growing climber that can easily get out of hand unless pruned hard every year. It’s a good choice of plant if you have an ugly wall or fence that you want to cover quickly.

Lightly trim formal evergreen hedges, such as box, even if it hasn’t grown very much yet. Box doesn’t take kindly to being cut back hard, so the sooner it’s trimmed the better it keeps its shape. Although it takes more time, this job is best done with hand shears, as opposed to a mechanical cutter, for a better finish. You can also take cuttings from any shoots about 8cm (3 inches) long. Trim each cutting just below a leaf joint, pot into cuttings compost, cover with clear polythene and leave to root in a shady corner of the garden. In a few weeks they should have rooted so you can pot them up to plant in another part of the garden.