VEGETABLE PATCH : A descending node passed in the early hours — skip any ground-breaking work this morning and focus on harvesting instead. Pick tomatoes and courgettes as soon as they reach size, which encourages the plant to keep setting fruit rather than putting energy into a single oversized specimen. Snip off any yellowing leaves at the base of courgette plants to improve airflow and slow the spread of powdery mildew. After the sign change this morning, the day shifts to a fruit day — a welcome signal to continue harvesting squash that have developed a firm, matt skin.
ORCHARD : Wander through the orchard and check fig tree branches for early fruits that give slightly when pressed — harvest them promptly, as they deteriorate quickly once ripe. Raspberry canes that have finished fruiting can be cut back to the ground now; tie in the new green canes at 10 cm intervals along the wire to give them space and light. Currant bushes and blackcurrant bushes benefit from a 6–8 cm mulch of straw or wood chips around the base to retain moisture through July’s dry spells — keep the mulch a hand’s width clear of the main stem.
LANDSCAPING : Wisteria summer pruning is still on the agenda: shorten this season’s lateral shoots to five or six leaves to keep the framework tidy and encourage flower buds to form for next year. Lavender that has finished blooming can be trimmed lightly — cut just above the woody base of each stem, never into old wood — to keep plants compact. Finish with a light weeding around rose and hydrangea beds before the afternoon heat sets in.