Gardening - jobs for the week ahead

Keep patio container plants well watered and feed with a liquid fertiliser every fortnight.

Stake tall or top-heavy dahlias and lilies to prevent wind and rain damage.

Dead-head bedding plants and perennials to encourage them to flower into autumn and stop them self-seeding.

As penstemon flowers fade, cut them back to just above a leaf to encourage more flowers.

Cut back herbs (pictured) to encourage a new flush of tasty leaves which can be harvested before the first frost.

Prune wisteria after flowering by removing all the whippy side-shoots from the main branch framework to about 20cm from their base.

Apply a high-potash fertiliser, such as tomato food, once fruits start to form on pepper, cucumber and aubergine plants.