SUPPORT SYSTEM

Lighting up time

Harness the power of the sun to add sparkle to your garden on summer evenings by investing in some solar-powered lights. These solar festoon lights from Garden Trading (gardentrading.co.uk) are perfect for draping in trees or shrubs, or using to accent the line of a fence or wall.

Wooden trellis won’t last forever but this stylish fan-shaped trellis from Harrod Horticultural (harrodhorticultural.com) is made from galvanised steel and designed to stand the test of time. The uprights are capped with ball finials for that extra touch of class, and the trellis is supplied with matching brackets for easy installation.

Dry your best

‘Everlasting’ flowers such as statice, helichrysum and gypsophila can easily be dried and turned into attractive posies or indoor displays. Gather your flowers in the morning. Remove the leaves from the stems, then hang them upside-down in loose bunches in a warm, dry, well-ventilated place away from direct sunlight. Once they’re dry and papery they’re done.

Feeding frenzy

Tomatoes are hungry plants. At this time of year you should be feeding them every 7–10 days to maximise your crop. Use a specialist tomato feed rather than a general purpose product, because it will contain the extra potassium that your plants require if they are to set a decent amount of fruit.