Nothing beats the freshness and delicious taste of freshly picked fruit and vegetables. Summer is here and caring for your garden over summer is very important. Retaining soil moisture, keeping the weeds down and de-heading will ensure that your garden is looking top notch.

Vegetables & Fruit: This is the time of year when your plants will be growing rapidly so ensure that you are watering well them. Plant seedlings of beetroot, lettuce, cabbage, silverbeet, radish and carrots. Kumara and yams should also be planted in the summer until late March to harvest in Autumn and winter. Tomatoes should be taken extra care of and firmly staked. Strawberry season is almost at an end so keep watering and feeding them and hopefully you will be rewarded with delicious strawberries right until the end of summer. Another great tip is if you would like to retain moisture for longer in your garden then add a layer of compost mix.

Pests: Give the plants a healthy dose of what’s good for them so that the pests stay away. Caterpillars are top on the list for summer and if they don’t have their own plants to eat they will go to your vegetable plants. Whitefly is also a huge menace, as well as slugs and snails. Apply slug bait around young plants to protect them as much as possible.

Flowers: It’s time to deadhead those roses and rhododendrons which will promote new autumn blooms. Trim your petunias to encourage fresh new flowers and keep your garden tidy and weed- free to ensure that those beautiful flowers will be out in force.

Summer is a wondrous time in the garden. Grab a glass of your favourite beverage and take time to sit back and appreciate your garden. Happy summer gardening everyone!