Pat Duke: Gardening is all about relaxing as well as producing

If you have the time it can pay dividends in terms of petals if you can be fastidious about dead heading when blooms have gone over. Pretty soon you'll be festooned with dahlias and cosmos leaning and billowing in all directions. Stake them securely and they will thank you for it in a similar way.
Sweet peas, like their vegetable counterparts will keep coming if they are cut regularly and it's worth doing this for the scent and show off potential at the dining room table.
If you need some time away from the potential chaos of the school holidays, book yourself some time to take cuttings from camelia and eleagnus. These are relatively straightforward as long as you place them around the edge of a terracotta pot. You could then move on to clematis and geraniums using sand based compost. Doing this will move you along the horticultural trajectory and should fill you with confidence in attempting more technical tasks. Being self sufficient in the cutting garden as well as the vegetable garden is entirely possible when you start growing from cuttings. It will also provide you with a never ending supply of gifts for family and friends.
When you’ve mown the lawn, it will benefit from spreading fine sandy compost around and dig out any deep rooted weeds while you’re at it. Mowing the lawn will disrupt weeds before they have time to set seed, so keep at it to give the grass the best chance to dominate.
Keep sitting down watching and listening to what's going on in the garden. Doing this makes gardening what it is. The whole point is to relax and find some contentment rather than mere production.

On the Plot

Tomatoes are literally coming to fruition right now so its time to give them a helping hand by removing leaves that shade the fruits. This also helps keep the dreaded blight away by increasing air flow. Fruit production can be enhanced by still removing energy sapping side shoots. This job can be done just before watering/feeding whilst you’re in there so it’s not such a shock for the plants.

They will need watering every morning if you’re able and feeding once or even twice a week. They are very good at letting you know what they need by wilting the minute they need the slightest drink.

If you have any grass cuttings to hand they can be used at the base of crops that need a lot of nitrogen for green leaves. Brassicas and cabbages will benefit from this and it will also stop them being surrounded by weeds.
Keep cropping pulses so they keep coming. Eat them as you go if you have to as this is a gardeners’ perk and better than any five star restaurant can present you with.
Some salad crops may have gone to seed so pull these up and plant some you will use. Rocket and mizuna pack a touch of fire or bitterness if you've not eaten the last lettuce crop.
If you have any spare time (as if!) then it’s a great time when the weather is dry to think about paths and using up any wood or bricks you’ve been hoarding away. Brick paths can be easily laid by removing a layer of soil, placing sand down and levelling the bricks in whatever order you like, A herringbone pattern can transform a plot but can be tricky to lay down. Lay the bricks down in the pattern of your choosing then brush sand in between the cracks. Over time this will become weathered and save you from dragging mud into the house when you’re harvesting greens in deepest December.