Summer Gardening Tips There's nothing better than lazing in your garden drink in hand, soaking up the summer sun. And it's even more enjoyable if your garden is well-kept and in full bloom! Whether you're an expert gardener or a complete novice, our tips should help you get your garden looking great and turn it into the perfect summer retreat. Green fingers at the ready!

As the summer starts to kick in your garden should erupt in an explosion of colour! To help perfect the colour palette, the Royal Horticultural Society recommend planting peonies, delphiniums, campanulas and lupins, and also suggest planting roses alongside deutzias, and mallows (Lavatera) and philadelphus in the shrub border to create a truly spectacular display.

Summer is also the ideal month for indulging in a bit of alfresco dining. Whether you have a small balcony, roof terrace, patio or garden, a Garden Party will inspire a host of decorative furniture and accessories which are guaranteed to turn any plain plot into a beautiful sunshine setting! Follow our practical guide to Making a Barbecue for real hands-on outdoor dining, add some Simple Water Features for great garden talking points and extend those long summer evenings by adding some Garden Lighting.

As summer peaks large-flowered clematis can be used to scramble over spring-flowering shrubs, such as forsythia. Later on annuals such as Nicotiana and Cosmos are ideal for filling gaps between shrubs, and tender or half-hardy perennials, such as penstemons and diascias, are guaranteed to brighten any bed or border colour schemes.

For extra splashes of colour in your garden you may consider Container Planting or Hanging Baskets. Remember to regularly turn your pots though so the plants get equal exposure, otherwise the side facing the wall will perform poorly in comparison to the side in direct sunshine. And remember, as a general rule, the larger the container, the happier the plant.

If the English garden is all a bit old hat for you now and you feel like trying something different, why not have a go at turning your garden into a tropical paradise? Have a go at creating an exotic look that's more Mediterranean than Margate!