Episode 13

Planting up a summer container is a really fun thing to do in the garden. It’s only going to be on show for a few months, so it’s worth taking risks and using colour combinations you may not have tried before. You could even create different soil conditions to those you have in your own garden.

Monty always changes the compost in his containers at this time of the year. This is really important because summer bedding plants are very greedy and will grow vigorously over the season. Providing them with fresh compost will ensure you end up with a stunning display. After about six weeks, it is also worth giving your containers a weekly liquid feed to get the very best from your plants.

This year, Monty has chosen a bright orange and red theme for his big Jewel Garden pots. Here’s a complete list of what he planted on camera:

• Canna 'Wyoming' x 1
• Dahlia 'David Howard' x 3
• Dianthus x 3
• Cosmos sulphureus 'Orange Cosmea' x 6
• Tropaeolum majus (Nasturtium) x 7

More ideas for summer containers (www.rhs.org.uk)

At this time of year, lily beetles can wreak havoc on your lilies and fritillaries. As well as munching through the foliage, they’ll eat the petals and seed pods too. The bright red adults are easy to spot, but have a nasty habit of dropping to the ground whenever they are disturbed! Creep up on them whilst they are otherwise engaged and put a hand underneath to help catch them. If you have a lot of plants to check or simply don’t have the time to inspect them all every week, consider using an insecticide instead.

More on lily beetle (www.rhs.org.uk)

To keep your roses flowering for as long as possible, it’s worth deadheading them on a regular basis. But don’t just pull off the spent flowers - cut back to a side-shoot or bud to promote fresh new growth. During a wet spell, blooms can often be ruined by balling. To help overcome this, gently tease the outer petals apart and the flower will open before your eyes.

What is rose balling? (www.rhs.org.uk)

Blackbirds have an annoying habit of eating strawberries just as they start to ripen and the best way of preventing this is to protect the crop with some netting. It doesn’t have to be a permanent structure. Posts or canes with the netting stretched over them will do the job. Make sure that the netting is pulled taut and weigh down the edges with bricks or stones.

How to grow strawberries (www.rhs.org.uk)