It’s July. The sun should be shining, the garden is blooming so get your secateurs out and bond with nature. Gardening keeps you fit and clears your head. What are you waiting for?
Give your pots, beds and borders a liquid feed once a fortnight.
Water, water, water. Water plants at the roots in the evening. To give plants the best chance in the heat, the soil should feel damp at all times, and not dry or wet. Don’t water foliage in the sun, the water will heat up and scorch the leaves. Ideally, watering should be done using an automatic irrigation system.
Mow lawns regularly (not when it’s really dry though), but leave the grass a little longer during dry periods to retain moisture.
Deadhead regularly, and clear fallen leaves.
Help rambling and climbing plants climb by tying in their shoots and fronds to your fence or wired up wall. For ease use a green plastic-coated wire on a roll with a small cutter such as Bosmere Snip & Twist.
Prune any summer flowering shrubs such as Philadelphus after flowering.
If you cut back Geraniums and Delphiniums after flowering, they may flower again this summer.
Remove any suckers (unwanted shoots shooting from the base of a plant) from trees.
Prop up or stake and tie in tall flowering perennial plants, so they don’t break in the wind.
If there is a hosepipe ban, spread a 5cm layer of mulch (use organic compost, but don’t let it swamp tender green shoots and stems as it can burn them) over the beds and borders to help the soil retain moisture.
Get rid of weeds by digging them out or using a weedkiller.
Use slug pellets or beer traps to stop your vegetables and Hostas being munched by slugs and snails. Other deterrents include spreading Vaseline on the sides and tops of planters, so the snails can’t climb, or spreading horticultural grit around the base of plants. For a more ornate deterrent, plant ornamental Alliums, as slugs and snails hate the oniony smell. And Alliums look rather good with Hostas.
Get rid of aphids (greenfly and blackfly). Use a bug spray, squash them off in your fingers or plant Nasturtiums (which aphids love) to lure them away from vegetables or roses.
Spray roses for blackspot.
Beds and Borders
This is the time to plant autumn-flowering bulbs such as Colchicum the autumn flowering crocus or Nerine. Both are recommended for jollying up autumn beds are borders with their pretty flowers. Anxious mothers please note, Colchicum are poisonous.
Most importantly, don’t forget to relax and enjoy your garden when the sun shines.
Shopping
You can order your autumn flowering bulbs from us, we suggest white Colchicum speciosum ‘Album’ or pink Nerine Bowdenii.
If you want some value-for-money elegance, try Cosmos in white or bright magenta pink. They are stunning summer-flowering annuals (short-lived plants that die in winter) and they don’t lose their blooms until the Autumn.
Call us to order annuals or bulbs on 07966 494 712
