Hoe or hand-pull annual weeds while they are still small

Choose a dry day and leave the leaves on the surface to wither. Perennial weeds (things like dandelions and ground elder) are trickier to deal with. They have to be dug out effectively, removing completely. If any trace is left in the soil, be warned, they return! We endeavour to prepare and design gardens in the Cotswolds with this in mind!

Deadheading is a regular task in all parts of the garden as some flowers ‘go over’.

With many plants the flowering period can be extended if old flowers are removed as soon as they fade. This is particularly important with roses.

It will prevent the plant’s energy going into seed production and channel it into new growth and flowers later in the season. Most deadheading can be done with secateurs, cutting back to just above strong buds lower down the stem.

Some plants, like hardy geraniums, can be chopped right back with garden shears.

This may seem a bit drastic, especially at first, as they will look very bare, but later on in the season they will reward you with a flush of new flowers.