JULY Gardening Column
Summertime is in full swing!
Now is the time to be making the most of our outdoor spaces. Get out there, get gardening, get sitting in the garden, get enjoying your gardens now!
Let’s take a look at some jobs to be doing this month;
- Harvest beans, tomatoes and carrots now
- Too many beans? Freeze them and you can enjoy them for months to come
- Water regularly, applying a liquid feed fortnightly to keep your garden looking its absolute best
- Create a wildlife garden. It can be as simple as a half barrel or shallow pot filled with plenty of pollinator friendly flowers.
- Prune any flowering shrubs that have now finished
- Dead head annuals and perennials regularly to encourage plenty of new buds
- Install plant supports around tall growing perennials such as delphiniums and peony
- Water houseplants regularly
- Harvest summer fruiting raspberries
- Thin our fruit crops such as apples and pears. Remove any damaged or undersize fruits, this will allow the remaining fruit to grow bigger and even better
- Sow a batch of peas and dwarf beans before mid July for a delicious crop in the autumn
- Trim topiary and other shaped evergreens
Looking Good This Month
This month look out for Hydrangea. There are so many charming varieties of Hydrangea from climbing to colour changing, there is a Hydrangea for every garden. Some particularly lovely ones to look out for are the ‘Black Diamond varieties’ and the ‘Eclipse’ varieties. The flowers are just spectacular!
Also Looking Good This Month
Think when you are away abroad on holiday, what flowers do you often see? Hibiscus is a common flower you see whilst abroad in warmer climates, and they are just stunning! They may not be hardy in this country, but you can still enjoy them all summer long. They are perfect for pots on the patio and will provide vibrant colour all summer long. If you have anywhere warm to overwinter Hibiscus, you can keep these wonderful shrubs from year to year!
Enjoy the time spent in your gardens this month. Take it all in, the flowers, the foliage, even the fruits and vegetables. Make the most of this wonderful time of year.
Happy gardening!