Keep lawn edges in good shape

Plants at the front of a border often spill onto the lawn as they grow.

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The grass then fades away under the foliage and when the border plants die back in winter, you're left with bare patches of lawn.

So trim back any plants that are flopping onto the grass or insert low supports along the lawn edge.

You can also avoid the problem by planting well back from the edge so plants don't ever reach the lawn.

Remove blighted foliage

In August, blight often infects potato leaves. Resistant varieties stay healthy for a bit longer but can still succumb to this fungal disease.