Ask a Garden Designer: What to Do in the Garden in July
It’s summertime and you can now start to enjoy the fruits of your labour and tackle a few maintenance jobs in the garden
The garden should now be at its peak and looking its best. The borders will be filled with vibrant colours and the vegetable garden will be producing wonderful crops. Enjoy alfresco dining and longer summer evenings, appreciating all your hard work and entertaining friends in your sweet-scented haven.
Preen your pond life
Lilies, or Nymphaea, are the star plants of the pond in July. There are so many to choose from and some lovely pygmy varieties (at 30-60cm) for small containers, too. Lilies don’t like splashing water, so make sure they are planted in calm water away from any disturbances.
Plant lilies in aquatic baskets lined with hessian and in aquatic or very loamy soil. Make sure the crown is at soil level. Trim back any old roots or dead leaves and flower buds that don’t look as if they will flower. Ensure you place the plant at the correct depth by putting the basket on some bricks and, over time, lowering the plant as it starts to grow. Lilies are heavy feeders, so use slow-release fertiliser in the growing season. The water level in ponds may drop in July, so keep it topped up.
Oxygenating plants may need thinning or they will take over the pond. To do this, rake them out, leave them by the side of the pond for any creatures to get back into the water, then you can add them to the compost heap.
Discover ways to bring water into your garden
Lilies, or Nymphaea, are the star plants of the pond in July. There are so many to choose from and some lovely pygmy varieties (at 30-60cm) for small containers, too. Lilies don’t like splashing water, so make sure they are planted in calm water away from any disturbances.
Plant lilies in aquatic baskets lined with hessian and in aquatic or very loamy soil. Make sure the crown is at soil level. Trim back any old roots or dead leaves and flower buds that don’t look as if they will flower. Ensure you place the plant at the correct depth by putting the basket on some bricks and, over time, lowering the plant as it starts to grow. Lilies are heavy feeders, so use slow-release fertiliser in the growing season. The water level in ponds may drop in July, so keep it topped up.
Oxygenating plants may need thinning or they will take over the pond. To do this, rake them out, leave them by the side of the pond for any creatures to get back into the water, then you can add them to the compost heap.
Discover ways to bring water into your garden
Carry a pair of secateurs
Keep this essential tool with you at all times in July! Perennials such as penstemons and delphiniums need to be cut back now above a bud to encourage new growth. This will mean you will have many more flowers later in the summer, especially if seed is not required.
Hardy geraniums can be cut back to ground level with a pair of shears and you can remove old flowering stems of aquilegias if you don’t need the seeds from the plant. After cutting and pruning, give the plants a good feed.
You can cut lavender now for drying just as the flowers start to open. They must be picked before they peak as they will open out more once they’re drying. Tie the cut stems into bunches and hang them upside down in an airy place to dry. Then you can fill your house with the scent of lovely home-grown dried lavender.
Keep this essential tool with you at all times in July! Perennials such as penstemons and delphiniums need to be cut back now above a bud to encourage new growth. This will mean you will have many more flowers later in the summer, especially if seed is not required.
Hardy geraniums can be cut back to ground level with a pair of shears and you can remove old flowering stems of aquilegias if you don’t need the seeds from the plant. After cutting and pruning, give the plants a good feed.
You can cut lavender now for drying just as the flowers start to open. They must be picked before they peak as they will open out more once they’re drying. Tie the cut stems into bunches and hang them upside down in an airy place to dry. Then you can fill your house with the scent of lovely home-grown dried lavender.
Prune your wisteria
July is the month for the second prune of any wisteria. Remove all the whippy side shoots made in the summer from the main branch to about 20cm from the base, which is about five leaves or five to six buds on the main stem. This will encourage the formation of flower buds for next year’s flowers. Come January, you will shorten those shoots again.
Wisteria can suffer from root diseases, such as honey fungus and phytophthora root rot, and also may not be successful if the grafting has failed. If you suspect any of these problems, contact the RHS for advice on care, and remember – if your wisteria has been grown from seed, it can take 20 years to flower!
July is the month for the second prune of any wisteria. Remove all the whippy side shoots made in the summer from the main branch to about 20cm from the base, which is about five leaves or five to six buds on the main stem. This will encourage the formation of flower buds for next year’s flowers. Come January, you will shorten those shoots again.
Wisteria can suffer from root diseases, such as honey fungus and phytophthora root rot, and also may not be successful if the grafting has failed. If you suspect any of these problems, contact the RHS for advice on care, and remember – if your wisteria has been grown from seed, it can take 20 years to flower!
Pick your produce
Keep picking your courgettes before they get too large. Smaller courgettes are far more tender and, by continuously picking them, you will encourage more flowers, which, in turn, results in more fruit. Do the same with runner beans. You must keep on top of picking them as, the bigger they get, the stringier and less pleasant to eat they become.
Water all vegetables regularly, otherwise they will bolt and start producing seed. Keep on top of the weeds, too; use a hoe in-between rows and, if you do it on a dry day, the weeds will shrivel up, saving you having to bend down and cart piles of them away.
Keep picking your courgettes before they get too large. Smaller courgettes are far more tender and, by continuously picking them, you will encourage more flowers, which, in turn, results in more fruit. Do the same with runner beans. You must keep on top of picking them as, the bigger they get, the stringier and less pleasant to eat they become.
Water all vegetables regularly, otherwise they will bolt and start producing seed. Keep on top of the weeds, too; use a hoe in-between rows and, if you do it on a dry day, the weeds will shrivel up, saving you having to bend down and cart piles of them away.
Have a July project
Why not have a go at making a lovely outdoor potting bench while the weather is good. It could double up as a flower-cutting station, or even be part of an outdoor kitchen.
Get hold of an old sink and cut a hole in a potting bench from the garden centre – or make one yourself from bits of salvaged wood. There are masses of lovely wood stains and great colours for outdoor furniture now – you can create a lovely outdoor piece that’s both practical and good to look at. Add pots of herbs to enhance the look.
Try hooking the sink to an outdoor tap, so you can have running water and a place to wash pots, fill vases with cut blooms from the garden or even rinse the Pimm’s glasses!
Why not have a go at making a lovely outdoor potting bench while the weather is good. It could double up as a flower-cutting station, or even be part of an outdoor kitchen.
Get hold of an old sink and cut a hole in a potting bench from the garden centre – or make one yourself from bits of salvaged wood. There are masses of lovely wood stains and great colours for outdoor furniture now – you can create a lovely outdoor piece that’s both practical and good to look at. Add pots of herbs to enhance the look.
Try hooking the sink to an outdoor tap, so you can have running water and a place to wash pots, fill vases with cut blooms from the garden or even rinse the Pimm’s glasses!
Ward off pests, naturally
Warm weather means pests. Young stems can be covered in blackfly and greenfly now and aphids love the heat. By having a variety of plants in your garden, you will attract the more beneficial insects, such as ladybirds, lacewings and even the dreaded wasp, who are all great aphid predators. There are many biological controls available now, but having a garden with a diverse collection of plants will help attract ‘good bugs’.
Why not also create a ‘bug house’ (as seen in this garden), which will encourage the predators you want. This doesn’t have to be elaborate, five-star accommodation; for example, just suspend bundles of tied bamboo canes under the branch of a tree and watch the insects move in. You can also use an old terracotta pot upturned and placed over dead leaves. As long as the bug boxes don’t get wet and keep dry and warm, many new visitors will enjoy their new homes, and they will get rid of the nasty pests you don’t want around.
Tour a jewel-coloured and wildlife-friendly English garden
Warm weather means pests. Young stems can be covered in blackfly and greenfly now and aphids love the heat. By having a variety of plants in your garden, you will attract the more beneficial insects, such as ladybirds, lacewings and even the dreaded wasp, who are all great aphid predators. There are many biological controls available now, but having a garden with a diverse collection of plants will help attract ‘good bugs’.
Why not also create a ‘bug house’ (as seen in this garden), which will encourage the predators you want. This doesn’t have to be elaborate, five-star accommodation; for example, just suspend bundles of tied bamboo canes under the branch of a tree and watch the insects move in. You can also use an old terracotta pot upturned and placed over dead leaves. As long as the bug boxes don’t get wet and keep dry and warm, many new visitors will enjoy their new homes, and they will get rid of the nasty pests you don’t want around.
Tour a jewel-coloured and wildlife-friendly English garden
Give your trees room to breathe
Many trees are planted in lawns and areas of meadow, but can get congested by grass around the base, which prevents essential moisture, nutrients and even light getting through. Ensure you clear away the grass and create either a circle or square around 90cm across that can be kept clear. It will be much easier to mow. Also top up with a good mulch, leaf mould or bark to help retain moisture: a good mulch will support the growth of mycorrhizal nutrients, improving soil condition.
Once trees are established, you can underplant if you like – this will be less damaging than having grass growing around the base. Cyclamen is a good choice, as the bulbs won’t compete for moisture and light in the way other perennials or grass will. The flowers look pretty, too.
Many trees are planted in lawns and areas of meadow, but can get congested by grass around the base, which prevents essential moisture, nutrients and even light getting through. Ensure you clear away the grass and create either a circle or square around 90cm across that can be kept clear. It will be much easier to mow. Also top up with a good mulch, leaf mould or bark to help retain moisture: a good mulch will support the growth of mycorrhizal nutrients, improving soil condition.
Once trees are established, you can underplant if you like – this will be less damaging than having grass growing around the base. Cyclamen is a good choice, as the bulbs won’t compete for moisture and light in the way other perennials or grass will. The flowers look pretty, too.
Divide bearded irises now
As irises mature over several years, they form very thick rhizomes (clumps of roots) that lose vigour and need dividing. By doing this, it’s also easier to get rid of weeds that ordinarily would be hard to remove from the clumps.
Lift the mass of knobbly rhizomes out of the ground and cut off any small, healthy-looking young pieces that have a small number of leaves attached. Remove any dead foliage, then literally slice across the leaves in a diagonal way with a sharp knife, making a fan shape, leaving a small amount of leaf about 6in from the root. Replant in a sunny spot in groups of five or more, 10-15cm apart, with the rhizome just below the surface of the soil. Don’t plant irises too deeply or on an exposed site, and keep them watered. You can dispose of the old woody rhizomes, as you will have healthier new plants from the cut pieces.
As irises mature over several years, they form very thick rhizomes (clumps of roots) that lose vigour and need dividing. By doing this, it’s also easier to get rid of weeds that ordinarily would be hard to remove from the clumps.
Lift the mass of knobbly rhizomes out of the ground and cut off any small, healthy-looking young pieces that have a small number of leaves attached. Remove any dead foliage, then literally slice across the leaves in a diagonal way with a sharp knife, making a fan shape, leaving a small amount of leaf about 6in from the root. Replant in a sunny spot in groups of five or more, 10-15cm apart, with the rhizome just below the surface of the soil. Don’t plant irises too deeply or on an exposed site, and keep them watered. You can dispose of the old woody rhizomes, as you will have healthier new plants from the cut pieces.
Plant autumn-flowering bulbs
Bulbs that flower in the autumn, from September to well into November, can be planted now if the weather stays warm. Plants such as the Crocus speciosus with blue-purple and white flowers, C kotschyanus with lilac-pink flowers, and C sativus with dark-veined lilac flowers are all good choices.
Plant the bulbs in full sun at a depth of 10cm. Other bulbs, such as nerines, can also be planted now, but as they originate from South Africa, they need to be planted against a warm, south-facing wall in well-drained soil. Plant the bulbs to at least twice their own depth and if you have have heavy clay soil, make sure you layer it with some coarse sand or grit at the bottom of the planting hole and sit the bulbs on this to improve drainage and avoid a soggy bottom!
TELL US…
What are you doing in your garden this month? Share your tips or photos in the Comments below.
Bulbs that flower in the autumn, from September to well into November, can be planted now if the weather stays warm. Plants such as the Crocus speciosus with blue-purple and white flowers, C kotschyanus with lilac-pink flowers, and C sativus with dark-veined lilac flowers are all good choices.
Plant the bulbs in full sun at a depth of 10cm. Other bulbs, such as nerines, can also be planted now, but as they originate from South Africa, they need to be planted against a warm, south-facing wall in well-drained soil. Plant the bulbs to at least twice their own depth and if you have have heavy clay soil, make sure you layer it with some coarse sand or grit at the bottom of the planting hole and sit the bulbs on this to improve drainage and avoid a soggy bottom!
TELL US…
What are you doing in your garden this month? Share your tips or photos in the Comments below.
Keep deadheading roses to prolong their wonderful displays. Try to cut back to a bud in a leaf axil lower down the stem to encourage strong new shoots. This will ensure you continue the display well into the autumn, and is far better than just snapping off the old flower heads.
Look out for mildew and blackspot, and make sure you remove any leaves and buds that are infected and burn or dispose of them away from the compost heap, as the spores will spread the disease around the garden. Once you have blackspot it makes no difference whether you spray or not, so try to spray the plants before it takes hold early in the season.