Turn country walks into plant hunting expeditions by taking along a copy of the Pocket Companion to the Countryside, by Mark Turley. This handy-sized guide includes photographs and descriptions of many of our native wild flowers, shrubs and trees, including the Common Spotted Orchid,  Kidney Vetch and Wych Elm.

There are descriptions of birds, insects and mammals too, as well as details of agricultural crops and animals.

The book costs £13.95, including p&p, with proceeds going to Compassion in World Farming, which campaigns for improved farm animal welfare.

The Pocket Companion to the Countryside is available from www.ciwf.org/pocketcompanion.

TOP TIP
Annual flowers including poppies and Nigella are starting to produce seed, so collect some, placing the pods into a paper bag and keeping them in a warm room for several days. Once the seed is dry, place it in an envelope, mark it clearly, then store it in an air-tight container and place it in the fridge until sowing time.

Scottish Gardener:

WHAT TO DO NOW...

  • Brassicas sown in June and leeks and onions sown earlier in the spring can be transplanted now.
  • When strawberries stop fruiting, cut off the leaves and peg down runners. Keep the plants well watered to encourage them to produce new foliage.
  • Cut back new shoots on wisteria to around 30cm from ripe wood, leaving four leaves.
  • Help house plants survive during holiday periods by sitting them on a length of capillary matting, draping one end into a container of water.
  • Harvest courgettes regularly, while they are still small, to keep the plants cropping.
  • Trim back lavender flowers as they start to fade.
  • Remove annual weeds before they have a chance to set seed.
  • Disbud dahlias by removing side buds in order encourage larger blooms from the buds that remain.
  • Once phlox have flowered, deadhead to a strong set of leaves lower down the stem to stimulate a second flush of flowers.
  • Lift early potatoes and use the space for runner beans.
  • Take cuttings of hydrangeas, removing the lower leaves to reduce water loss. Once rooted, pinch back to encourage the young plants to become bushier.
  • Cyclamen seed collected now should be sown while fresh. Place the seed trays in a shady spot and keep just slightly damp until the seedlings emerge.
  • Water hanging baskets daily and more frequently in hot weather. Water plants in containers even during periods of rainfall.
  • Place houseplants, including Cymbidium orchids, outdoors in a sheltered position.