Planning to write an article about how to make the most of your garden in the summer?

We’ve gathered a selection of experts covering everything from pruning roses to scarifying your lawn. If you want to get comments from them for an article you’re working on then you can contact them via the Journalist Enquiry Service by filling out our quick and easy form.

Charlie McNeill, managing director and spokesperson for Rainclear

Expertise: With 14 years at Rainclear and her previous experience as a senior technician, Charlie has a long history of work within the building materials industry and supports customers to select the best sustainable rainwater, drainage, and architectural aluminium solution for their new build, renovation, or conservation projects.

Speak to Charlie about: Sustainable gardening methods – including how to harvest rainwater to save money and be more eco-friendly as well as the benefits of rainscaping. Charlie can also advise on how to maintain your gutters to avoid expensive damage and potential health risks, why you should invest in a garden room this summer, and what heatwaves could do to gutters. 

What can people do now to get their garden looking its best for summer? ‘There are a lot of maintenance tasks that people tend to forget about when it comes to gardening,’ says Charlie. 

‘They tend to focus on the bigger picture, like how it looks, for example, or what to plant. However, if you want to get your garden prepared for the summer, you should check your drains and gutters to ensure they’re clean and not blocked. This is especially important after a lot of bad weather’.

Tom Clifford, garden landscaping expert, and John Clifford, gardening expert at Gardenstone 

Expertise: Tom and John are directors of Gardenstone Limited, a garden landscaping supplier that specialises in garden edging, patio paving, gravel, and walling materials. Tom has been in the garden landscaping business for over 13 years, making him an expert in garden design and maintenance. John has over 30 years experience in the gardening industry and works regaularly alongside The National Trust. He has amassed an extensive range of gardening and planting knowledge.

Speak to Tom and John about: Landscaping, garden design, and garden furniture. Plus, planting/growing advice and lawn maintenance.

What can people do now to get their garden looking its best for summer? ‘In the run up to summer, I strongly recommend removing the build up of dirt and debris that has accumulated on your patio throughout the winter months, to create a space that is both enjoyable and visually pleasing,’ says Tom.

‘Throughout April and May your grass will begin to grow rapidly making it the ideal time to scarify your lawn. By scarifying in early spring your lawn will fully rejuvenate itself with a healthy, lucious lawn in perfect time for summer,’ says John.

Hannah Rowson, assistant garden centre manager at J. Parker’s

Expertise: RHS qualified, Hannah is a fountain of knowledge for all things gardening and horticulture, having worked at J Parker’s for eight years. She has even had her garden designs displayed at RHS Tatton Flower Show. 

Speak to Hannah about: Seasonal advice on the best times for sowing and planting. Her well-rounded expertise spans from selecting the ideal plants and flowers for indoors and outdoors, to pruning techniques and garden maintenance.

What can people do now to get their gardens ready for summer? ‘Begin by tidying up beds, pruning back winter growth, and feeding your plants with a balanced fertilizer,’ says Hannah.

‘Consider adding summer-flowering bulbs and seeds for bursts of colour, and don’t forget to mulch to retain moisture and keep weeds at bay. With some careful attention now, your garden will be in full bloom and looking its best by summer.’

Jason Wilkinson, founder of Qwickhose

Expertise: Jason’s experience stems from running a successful property build business for several years, but more recently from the launch of Qwickhose, a garden hose connector.

Speak to Jason about: A range of garden and horticulture topics such as watering plants in hot weather, removing weeds from the patio, repelling rodents to increase flowers, and sustainable garden ideas.

What can people do now to get their gardens ready for the summer? ‘Pruning overgrown shrubs and trees encourages healthy growth, while planting summer-flowering bulbs and annuals now will ensure a burst of colour,’ says Jason.

‘Regular watering, fertilising, and mulching help plants thrive. Deep, infrequent watering is recommended, especially during hot spells.’

Ian Limmer, nursery manager at Peter Beales Roses

Expertise: Ian leads the breeding programme at Peter Beales Roses, which has been growing and breeding roses for 56 years at its fields in the market town of Attleborough. Ian trained under Peter Beales himself and has deep knowledge of rose cultivation.

Speak to Ian about: The best roses for container planting; which to choose for fragrance; safeguarding against pests and disease; growing in poor soil or shady areas; and how to prune and train rambling roses.

What can people do now to get their gardens ready for the summer? ‘At this time of year, roses are producing buds and getting ready for blooming,’ says Ian. 

‘As the weather warms up, they’ll need plenty of water – daily in hot weather – and they’re also heavy feeders. We recommend feeding every two weeks throughout the flowering period with a high potash feed. Your roses will reward you with bigger, healthier plants and abundant blooms.’

Guy Jenkins, consumer manager at Johnsons Lawn Seed

Expertise: Guy has been with Johnsons, which has been going for over 200 years, for almost two decades and can answer any sort of question about lawncare.

Speak to Guy about: Various lawncare topics including how to create a wildflower lawn or meadow; how to prepare a lawn for planting; how and when to overseed your lawn; how to deal with a waterlogged lawn; how to scarify a lawn; the best grass for shady places; the advantages of real grass over artificial turf; how you should be mowing your lawn and when not to mow; preparing lawns for winter; the best grass for lawns which have heavy use by pets; and how to achieve the most luxurious looking lawn.

What can people do now to get their gardens ready for the summer? ‘We encourage gardeners to hold off mowing their lawns, to pollinating insects and ground-nesting birds and other wildlife, in support of botanical charity Plantlife’s No Mow May initiative, says Guy. ‘This doesn’t have to mean messy, overgrown lawns, however! People can sow their own wildflower patches and do their bit for the environment in a way that will also beautify their own gardens.’

Dr Emily Lambert, conservation scientist and co-founder of Seedball

Expertise:  Along with her partner Dr Ana Atlee, Dr Emily Lambert founded Seedball, a multiple-award-winning, not-for-profit organisation. Ana and Emily’s mission is to help increase the abundance of British wildflowers, and wildlife that depend upon them, by encouraging people to maximise the outdoor space available to them and scattering seed balls of native flowers.

Speak to Emily about: Wildflowers, wildlife and pollinator conservation, and biodiversity and climate.

What can people do now to get their gardens ready for the summer? ‘Get started on your wildflower border by scattering seed balls over the prepared ground,’ says Dr Emily 

‘Autumn and spring are a great time to start growing wildflowers, and the rain at this time may even do the watering for you! Come summer, your garden will be bursting with colour and buzzing with wildlife.’

Peter Chaloner, managing director of Cobra

Expertise: Peter is the managing director of Cobra, one of the UK’s leading brands of garden machinery, and Henton & Chattell, one of the largest garden machinery distributors in the country. With over 30 years of experience in the industry, Peter is a passionate enthusiast when it comes to lawncare and seasonal gardening tasks.

Speak to Peter about: Lawncare and seasonal tasks, garden tools, security and maintenance, and industry trends and dealerships.

What can people do now to get their gardens ready for the summer? ‘Scarifying in spring is a great way to help the grass recover from the intensity of the winter months and lower temperatures, preparing it for the year ahead, making it greener and looking its best.’

Steve Swanborough, gardening expert at Henchman

Expertise: Steve works closely with the team at shows such as RHS Chelsea Flower Show and RHS Hampton Court Flower Festival. Having previously worked as a private gardener in South London, Steve brings years of horticultural experience to Henchman, and his favourite part of the job is helping customers with any hedge-related problems they might face. Steve is passionate about sustainable gardening practices, and everything in his own garden is upcycled.

Speak to Steve about: Pruning tall plants and hedge and tree maintenance.

What can people do now to get their gardens ready for the summer? ‘Pruning is an essential job for any gardener, which when done correctly, promotes healthier and more productive growth,’ says Steve. 

‘This annual task is not just about giving your landscape a tidy appearance – it also ensures plants produce an abundance of high-quality fruit, branches, and blooms.’

Antonio Formisano, product manager at 4lite

Expertise: Holding a Master’s in Lighting Engineering, Antonio began his career as a lighting designer and has since transitioned into the role of a product manager for Ansell and 4lite. With a deep passion for lighting design and architecture, Antonio brings a unique perspective to lighting design, constantly striving to create innovative and impactful lighting solutions.

Speak to Antonio about: Garden lighting including around design, layering lighting, getting the benefits of the smart light revolution and how much money you can save on energy bills by switching your garden lights to LED lights.

What can people do now to get their gardens ready for the summer? ‘With Spring officially here, it’s time to de-Winter the garden. One job that will transform any outdoor space instantly and for the long-term is upgrading your lighting,’ says Antonio.

‘One of the major perks of smart garden lighting is the ability to dim lighting levels so you can switch from full illumination all the way down to a gentle glow for a background ambience’.  

On the Journalist Enquiry Service, you can reach thousands of expert sources in all sectors – this is just a snapshot of the calibre of experts ready to talk about gardening or their specific areas of expertise that you can connect with.

If you want to interview one of these individuals specifically, drop a line to ResponseSource Community Manager Andrew Strutt at andrew.strutt@responsesource.com and we’ll connect you. Otherwise, head to responsesource.com/send to reach these and many more people who can help you with your story.