Now you can start to make the most of the plants in the garden and really enjoy the dry weather. In terms of maintenance, there's not a lot to do but you can prepare for more wildlife over the course of the summer and begin to harvest yet more vegetables.

A lot of what you've planted over the spring will now be ready – more salad crops will need harvesting and, if you're growing veg with a short plant-to-harvest time, replaced. Ensure that the garden has plenty of water.

Use a hoe to keep your borders free from weeds and regularly pinch off shoots from summer-flowering border plants to encourage more growth. Prune your spring-flowering shrubs to ensure good growth next year and stake or offer some other kind of support to summer-flowering blooms which are growing large and floppy.

Water the lawn and cut it once a week. Hang out your hanging baskets and keep them regularly watered.

Growth continues apace so make sure that all of your shrubs, supported plants, perennials and fruit and veg have room to grow. Check the ties on plants that you've tied to stakes to see whether or not they have room to move; thin perennials and trim back any that have flowered already; thin out your vegetable plot (particularly with abundantly-growing plants like carrots, beetroots, radishes, courgettes and other squashes, and onions).

Prune fruit bushes, paying particular attention again to shoots which are growing back into the bush. Prune your shrubs but beware; many birds will nest in shrubs during the summer, so make sure you're not disturbing them.

Water everything in your garden. Pots, borders and beds should all be moist to the depth of the middle of your palm. Deadhead the flowers. It might also be time to feed your lawn again.

As the days start to shorten they often remain hot and dry; take advantage of the good weather and get out in the garden or allotment to harvest the last of your summer vegetable crop. If you're growing fruit, the branches may well be laden by now, particularly with plums; pick 20-50% of the fruit to ensure that the branches don't break or become damaged from the weight.

After a dry few months, your container plants are going to be very thirsty; particularly the hanging baskets. Make sure that they are watered frequently and continue dead-heading as and where you see fit.

Take cuttings and seeds from any plants that have worked out well, for next year.

You can start to prepare your empting plots, and any borders that you plan to put hardy annuals in, by digging and composting; next month will provide a good opportunity to replenish the plots for winter growth.