JULY GARDENING TIPS
Now is the time to take it
easy in the garden and enjoy the fruits of your labour. You could get inspiration by visiting gardens taking part in the National Gardens Scheme and will probably come away fired up with ideas.
There's also the RHS
Hampton Court Palace Flower Show. If you make it along there, look out for Garsons’ stand in the Floral Marquee - it's won Gold again this year!
Why not introduce a little
herb garden close to your back door? It’s great to grab a handful for cooking and they’re just the thing to add flavour to barbecues. Shrub-like herbs including rosemary, thyme and sage are very easy to care for. Chives and mint are other herb favourites and are available in the garden centre to plant up straightaway.
Most herbs prefer a sunny position and well-drained soil. They can be mixed into your borders, although mint is invasive and is best grown in pots.
Staying with the edible
theme, you can carry on sowing lettuce, carrot and radish seeds. If it’s a dry month, make sure they get plenty of water, ideally in the evenings.
If you're in the mood for
planting, choose some autumn flowering bulbs.
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Autumn crocus, cyclamen and
nerines are pretty choices and you’ll be rewarded with colour in the garden till late in the year.
If there isn't much space in your borders, plant bulbs in containers and add bedding plants above them, for a lovely long show of colour.
Other jobs for this month:
- While admiring your flowers, do a little deadheading to encourage more blooms.
- Weeding will help keep the garden looking good. You don’t want to get too hot and bothered, just a little effort here and there will make a difference.
- Give your fruit and veg a boost with fortnightly feeds, along with flowering plants and container plants. A liquid feed such as Tomorite will do the job.
- Roses will appreciate a rose feed.
- Keep cutting the grass regularly and trim the edges for a neat look.
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Other jobs:
- Move container plants into a shady position if the sun is fierce this month, and keep them well watered.
- Cover the soil surface of your borders and containers with a mulch, such as decorative bark. It helps retain moisture and encourages deeper roots that need less watering.
- If lawn weeds such as clover, daisies and dandelions are a problem, use a selective weedkiller that recognises the difference between grass and broad-leaved weeds.
It's also the growing season
for houseplants. Remember they need a weekly water in warmer weather. They’ll benefit from a liquid feed such as Baby Bio, especially for flowering houseplants. Clean dust from the leaves, as this can stop them growing properly.
Until next month, enjoy the summer and happy gardening!
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