REMOVE the spent flowers on roses, as if you were picking them for the vase, by taking them down to a point just above where a new shoot will form.
This tidy up should be followed by a feed with an organic fertilizer, which must be watered in well.
It will then be about seven weeks until you get another flush of flowers on your bush roses.
Some areas have been hit with plague thrip, so dead-head to remove these unsightly flowers and encourage the new growth to replace them.
Most annuals in the garden can be checked weekly and the spent flowers removed as needed.
This encourages the plants to produce new shoots and flowers, rather than setting seed on the old flowers.
Give a liquid feed - or a feed with an organic fertilizer - to encourage growth.
Mulch your annuals and add a wetting agent to the surface, if you find the water does not soak in well.
It is amazing how much difference a layer of compost or mulch makes to the growth of seedlings.
It cools the roots, holds some water, helps overcome water repellency, suppresses weed growth and eventually rots down to improve the water and nutrient-holding ability of the soil.
Cover up
SUMMER is often time to cover up. This can be simply having a length of shadecloth to cover new vegie seedlings, newly planted shrubs or less heat-tolerant plants in the garden.
Choose a 50 or 70 per cent shadecloth and construct a frame, or throw it over the plant and tie to stakes at each corner. This helps prevent leaf burn on those really hot, sunny and strong north wind days.
Take it off as soon as possible so the plant doesn't become too soft or accustomed to lower light, which tends towards lanky growth.
You may also need to cover up fruit trees and plants with bird netting this time of the year, especially ripening stonefruit that can be ruined by birds.
Hardware stores sell knitted bird netting that can be flung over a tree and tied at the bottom to prevent birds accessing the fruits of your year's labor.
Bird netting may help prevent possums getting to fruit and can also be placed over ripening tomatoes and strawberries.
