Summer bunnies amongst us may have to accept that the full heat of summer has gone for another year, making a somewhat early departure this season, but keen gardeners will be relieved that conditions are becoming kinder for planting and cultivation. Keep thinking drought mode until we get some serious rain however.

• Start deadheading agapanthus as they finish flowering, especially if the plants are adjacent to waterways or to reserves. Most agapanthus have been ruled noxious weeds in Northland and Auckland now because of their seeding habits. Our summer roadsides and gardens would be dull without them but increased vigilance may slow any tendency to become a major problem. If you are buying them, look for sterile varieties which don’t set seed.
• Deadheading dahlias will extend their flowering season. Dwarf marigolds can also provide late summer colour if you like them. Some of us don’t.
• If you raise your annuals from seed (which is hugely cheaper than buying potted colour), you can be thinking about sowing seed for winter and early spring crops. They do most of their growing before winter and then slow down in cold temperatures before bursting into flower. Keep them disbudded, however, while they get established. Once they start to flower, they can rush to seed and die prematurely.
• Start thinking about wrenching large shrubs and trees that you plan to move in autumn or winter. Plan to take as large a root ball as you can physically manage.
• Lettuce, kale, broccoli, cauli and cabbage can all be planted from either seed or baby plants. Those with a warm spot could still get a late sowing of dwarf beans in but it is the last chance. They will develop into winter and the cold then holds them for an extended picking.

As we admired a beautifully crafted waxeye nest which had come down with a branch, Mark regretted that he had never tried to document the changing fashions in birds’ nests over the decades. This one was held together with fine threads of blue synthetic baling twine and did look very decorative. Other nests we have found over the years incorporate the soft plastic strips which we use for budding and grafting, the black plastic tape we use to tie plants to bamboo stakes and even the odd Tuflok label gets recycled to cushion eggs and babies. We wonder if the birds will ever get to build their nests entirely out of near indestructible plastics and synthetics that they pick up. It is a slightly alarming reminder of how much non bio degradable debris is lying around, even in an establishment where we try to reduce its impact.