Summer bedding should now be romping away, knitting together nicely to create blankets and mounds of saturated colour. And if a plant or project has failed, it’s not too late to start over again. Some degree of watering is inevitable unless you’ve planned carefully to have a drought-tolerant garden. The three together can be devastating, flattening wildflower meadows, toppling pots, tearing or puncturing large leaves and snapping unsupported stems. If positioned in too much sun the leaves may become dull or develop crisp brown edges. If you cease watering them during hot weather they may stop growing and become dormant as they would in their natural habitat.
Mist regularly, in the morning or during the day, to refresh plants and keep them cool. Tap water is fine for most plants but it can leave chalky deposits on the leaf surface over time.
When daytime temperatures rise above 18ºC and nighttime temperatures don’t dip below 10ºC many houseplants will be happy taking a break in the garden. Citrus trees, succulents, bananas, gingers, aspidistras and bird of paradise flowers will all enjoy a spell outside. Keep an eye on houseplants for infestations of aphid, scale insect and red spider mite. Ask a family member, friend or neighbour to pop in and water your plants whilst you’re away. If that’s not an option, water generously before you leave and move plants away from windows to a cool, shaded spot. What often follows is a dramatic slump in flowering as the plant gets back into its normal rhythm. Strip off any low leaves and plunge the stems straight into a bucket of fresh water until you have time to arrange them. Biennials can be lifted and moved into their final flowering positions later in autumn.
Early-flowering perennials such as oriental poppies, perennial cornflower, lady’s mantle, aquilegia, foxgloves and hardy geraniums can be cut back hard as soon as they start to look untidy or become covered in mildew – they will quickly produce neat mounds of fresh foliage and, if you’re lucky, another flush of flowers. If you are growing them for cut flowers, consider how you’ll move between plants to collect the best blooms before using nets or string.
July is a good time to take softwood cuttings – these are made from the leafy growing tips of plants that have not yet developed any woody tissue. Roots should start to develop in 2-3 weeks.
By now most of the spring bulb catalogues will have landed on your doormat. Summer is a good time to start planning your spring display of tulips, daffodils, crocuses and hyacinths, creating a mood board in an old-fashioned scrapbook or gathering images of colours and varieties you like on Pinterest. Take care not to cut into old, bare wood unless you’ve checked that the plant will regrow successfully. Do not skimp on this as good irrigation will set them up for life.
Kitchen Garden & Allotment
The area of your garden where you grow fruit and vegetables will be the focus of your attention this month.
Feed and water regularly. Those types with tendrils should attach themselves but may need a little coaxing in the right direction. Mulching with homemade compost, straw or mushroom compost will help to suppress weeds as well as conserve moisture and regulate the temperature of the soil.
Wildlife & Sustainable Garden
July is a month of abundance with food for insects and animals in plentiful supply. At night, moths will be drawn to night-scented flowers such as marvel of Peru Mirabilis jalapa, tobacco Nicotiana, honeysuckle Lonicera spp., evening primrose Oenothera biennis and hardy gingers Hedychium spp.. Bats might be spotted at dusk, catching insects as they fly.
If you have a pond, it’s likely to be the epicentre of wildlife activity in your garden, alive with baby frogs, toads and newts, dragonflies, damselflies and all manner of insect life.
During hot, dry spells, water sources can dry up quickly. Keep birdbaths and ponds topped up with rainwater if you can otherwise tap water in small quantities will be fine. A pond where the surface is completely covered will become depleted of oxygen just when it’s brimming with life. Newly-sown perennial meadows or annual flower meadows do not need to be cut unless they become particularly scruffy and unsightly.
Water your compost heap if there’s no rain as dry material will not rot down without some moisture.
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Categories: Annuals, Bulbs, chrysanthemums, Climbers, Container gardening, Dahlias, Flowers, Foliage, Fruit and Veg, Garden Wildlife, House Plants, How To, Large Gardens, Perennials, Photography, Plants, Practical Advice, Seeds and Sowing, Small Gardens, Trees and Shrubs, Tropical Gardens, Urban Gardens, Weather, Wild Flowers
Posted by The Frustrated Gardener
Greetings Garden Lover!
