To prolong the flowering display of summer bedding plants, including French marigolds, fuchsias, pansies, pelargoniums and petunias, it’s a good idea to spend an hour or so each week deadheading the spent flowers and pinching out any yellowing leaves. Sweet-pea flowers should also be picked regularly to prevent the plants running to seed, which will drastically reduce further flower formation.

If you want to spice up the taste of summer salads, mixed oriental salad leaves are well worth growing, and they can still be sown. My favourite mixture is called “Niche Oriental Mixed”, from Thompson & Morgan (www.thompson-morgan.com), which contains a leafy combination of komatsuna, mizuna, mustard and pak choi. You can even grow them on a windowsill throughout the year. Fill a seed tray (choose one at least 3in-4in in depth) to 1in below the rim with moist John Innes seed compost, scatter the seeds lightly on top and then cover with ½in of compost. Place the tray on a well-lit windowsill and keep the compost damp - try not to wet the leaves when watering. At this time of year, it will be about three or four weeks before you can harvest them (when they are about 4in tall). If you are growing them in autumn or winter, they can take up to two months to mature.

In hot weather, the developing curds of summer cauliflowers are prone to damage by exposure to direct sunlight, which causes the curds to become scorched and discoloured. For this reason, it's well worth protecting them by bending (but not severing) a couple of the outer leaves over the top of the curds to act as a sunhat. If necessary, the leaves can be held in place with soft twine or elastic bands. The plants must also be kept weed-free, well watered and be given the occasional liquid feed.

It always seems a pity to spoil an English lavender display, but if you want to harvest it, the flowering stems can be harvested now for drying and storing. Wait for a dry day and cut the lavender with fairly long stalks when the buds are beginning to show colour but are not yet fully open. Tie the stems in loose bunches and hang upside-down in a reasonably warm, dark and airy shed – this will ensure they retain the maximum scent and colour. When they are completely dry, rub the buds free of the stalks and place in muslin bags.

Explore Gardens

• Hampton Court Palace Flower Show

• Chelsea Flower Show

Times recommends

• Here comes the glass sun – garden honours Beatle
• Gardening tips: 10 things to know about Horny Goat Weed or Epimedium
• Diarmuid Gavin shares tips on how make your garden fun and funky