Winter radishes, such as ‘Black Spanish Round’, can be sown now in ½in-deep drills.
Cut back the spent stems of weigela and prune one or two of the oldest branches to keep the plant healthy. Remove weak growth, then feed the shrub.
Harvest shallots when the leaves turn yellow and flop over. Gently lift the bulb clusters out of the ground with a fork, shake off loose soil and dry them for a few days in the sun or a greenhouse. Separate into individual bulbs and store in a cool, dry shed.
Cut lavender for drying over the next few weeks. Harvest the stalks just as the flowers start to open, tie into loose bunches and hang upside down in an airy room.
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Reader’s question
What are the frothy white blobs on the leaves and stems of my perennial campanulas?
K Atherton, Rochdale
This is due to an infestation of common froghoppers; they also attack asters, phloxes and solidagos. In the early summer, froghopper nymphs cover themselves in a froth-like mass, which protects them from desiccation, then feed on the plant sap and cause wilting. To control, wash them away with a hose or pressurised sprayer. Or wipe them off with a cloth.