LANDSCAPING : Wisteria has been pushing out long new shoots all summer — today’s flower day is exactly the right moment to shorten them to four or five leaves from the main framework. Sharp secateurs, one clean cut per stem, and the plant will channel its energy into next year’s flower buds rather than leafy extension. While you’re up the ladder, check the ties and tighten any that have slipped. Hollyhock and pansy seedlings sown under cover now — 0.5 cm and 0.3 cm deep respectively, seeds 3 cm and 2 cm apart — will be well ahead by autumn planting time.
VEGETABLE PATCH : Before the evening sign change, pick edible flowers from courgette and squash plants: harvest them mid-morning when petals are fully open, rinse gently and use within the day. Artichoke heads that are still tight and firm are worth cutting now too; a clean cut at the stem keeps the plant productive. Collect any dahlia blooms for drying by cutting stems just above a node — this signals the plant to push out new flowering shoots.
ORCHARD : After the evening sign change, the day shifts to a leaf day — a good window to check kiwi plants and pinch back the long lateral shoots to five leaves beyond the last fruit. Fig trees benefit from a look-over too: remove any small, underdeveloped figs that won’t ripen before autumn, so the plant concentrates on the best ones. In drier gardens, mulch around the base of raspberry canes with a 5–8 cm layer to hold moisture through the last weeks of summer heat.