Well, it certainly feels like we are getting a summer and we shouldn’t complain if it’s a little hotter than we might want. It will soon be wetter than we would like and then maybe colder than ideal too; there’s no point complaining at each change and expecting weather systems to deliver a perfect blend of our wishes. We always have to work with what conditions present themselves and do the best we can to look after our gardens. Work when it’s cooler too – both plants and gardeners suffer as temperatures rise above 25C. Try to keep plants watered if you can. Water in the early morning, or evening, so water has a chance to soak in before it starts to evaporate. Aim to wet around the roots and not soak bare patches between rows where nothing is growing. Some sprinkler systems soak leaves, paths and empty corners as well as rows of plants, some fling water up in the air with exuberance. This action mimics rainfall, but if water restrictions are in place then you may not have that freedom. Avoid a light sprinkle over the soil’s surface which encourages plants to grow shallow roots and ideally make a depression around each plant that you can water into. Use mulches to reduce evaporation and keep moisture in the ground. Grass clippings are free and easy to handle – using them as mulch is a good way to dispose of them.

Tomatoes ripen fast in hot sunny weather. (Photos: Ben Russell)

Under cover

If it’s hot outdoors then it’s much hotter in greenhouses, polytunnels and conservatories. Leave all doors and windows open day and night to take advantage of any breeze and temperature drops. Provided you can keep them watered, plants like tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and aubergines will thrive in a close approximation to a Mediterranean climate. Basil, grapes and melons all love a bit of heat and you may get bumper crops this year. Take the time to prune back unwanted foliage and remember that good air circulation reduces the spread of many diseases. Tomatoes are cropping well now. Plants may need a feed boost every 7-10 days if they are carrying a lot of fruit. Keep cutting out side-shoots and tie plants to supports unless you are growing bush varieties. Harvest when tomatoes are a good colour, but before they soften and taste suffers. You can cut lower leaves off plants at this point so they don’t shade fruit trusses. The lower third of the stem can easily be cleared of leaves – this helps reduce disease problems. Don’t add tomato foliage to the compost heap if there is any sign of disease. You don’t want problems to persist through into next year’s crops.

Cucumber plants should be checked regularly. If plants produce both male and female flowers, check the variety to see if you need to nip off the male ones before the female ones are pollinated. Pollination can lead to bitter fruit. All-female (F1 varieties) avoid this problem by only producing female flowers.  Stem rot is a common problem, leading to the loss of anything above the rotted section. If plants start to collapse, you may rescue them by cutting the stem just below the rot. This works if there are new leaf junctions that might produce new stems, or side shoots already growing.  Harvest cucumbers while they are slim and juicy. If you have a glut, then either give some away or learn how to make cucumber pickles. You can also use chunks of cucumber in cooked dishes – lightly stir fry to keep a crisp texture. Basil loves heat and plants are doing well this year. Harvest by pinching out the leaf clusters at the top of shoots, so you allow some small leaves to grow from leaf joints lower down the stem. Basil is delicious made into pesto. This freezes well, as does the chopped herb mixed with a little water and put into ice cube trays.

There’s something about sunflowers!

These flowers always put a smile on my face. Whether it’s a single giant or a field full of bright yellow heads, it’s hard to be gloomy when you see sunflowers. Play a game of spotting them with any small children you know and guess which plant is the tallest – they can grow 2m without a problem. And if you want to try growing them with your children, or grandchildren next year, save some ripe seed from a big head this year. Sunflowers are about the easiest thing to grow, just give plenty of compost to feed the roots and a stake to tie them to as they grow.

Sow for autumn, winter and spring crops

Try spinach, Swiss chard, early beetroot varieties, lettuce, rocket, lamb’s lettuce, mustard greens, Florence fennel, spring cabbage, turnips and parsley. Some of these do best if grown in a polytunnel or greenhouse.