I am a fan of Euphorbias and I have some of the big wulfenii types growing around the birch tree out at the back.

They made a superb show this year – all the water did them good, although they will put up with dry conditions as well. But the heads of bracts are starting to look tatty now, so I must swing in to action with the secateurs.

All the stems that had flowerheads on them need to be cut right down and removed. You will find that the sap is a sticky white latex that can cause skin irritations, so be sure to wear gloves. If you are dealing with a large plant then start in the middle and work your way out; that way you won’t have to get back in there whilst it is exuding sap.

You will find the sap bungs up your secateurs so make sure to give them a good scrub with washing up liquid to get it all off, otherwise it will render them useless.

It’s also time to shear back Pulmonarias. They will seed all over the place and get the most revolting powdery mildew if left so be brutal – right off at the base and if you need to lift and split then do so at the same time. You will be rewarded with a fresh growth of clean leaves. Treat Brunnera the same way.

The lawn will be the centre of attention as it is growing strongly now. You can lower the cut – don’t go from very high to very low in one go. A staggered approach is less of a shock. And remember that scalping the thing is only going to lead to problems – weed seeds blow in and immediately take over the bald area that you have managed to create. Much better to mow little and often.

You can also think about trimming evergreen hedges. But you may not know that not only is it cruel and unnecessary to disturb nesting birds, it is also illegal. Be sure that you have thoroughly checked beforehand and if you are lucky enough to have some squatters, leave the cutting until later.

A word about codling moths and apples: in May and June the moths mate and the female lays eggs on the fruit or near it. The eggs hatch and the caterpillars make their way into the fruit.

The males are attracted by a hormonal scent called a pheromone that is now produced synthetically.

Pheromone traps should be hung up in fruit trees as the males will fly to them looking for love and end up being trapped inside – life is cruel sometimes. You will need to use one trap for every three trees.

If you are growing strawberries in the ground rather than in pots, then now is the time to lift the developing fruits off the ground and place straw or strawberry mats underneath them. This stops rain and slug damage.

If birds are a problem (and I have witnessed a blackbird stripping one of my plants in a matter of minutes) then use mesh, or preferably fleece over the top to protect them – birds can get caught up I mesh so I prefer fleece.