JULY is one of the most beautiful times of the year for our outdoor spaces.
Summer colour is in full bloom with beds, borders and baskets filled with vibrant displays.
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It’s a great time in the garden with flowers in full bloom Credit: Jurgute
Nigel shares his top tips
It’s time to enjoy your garden’s greatness – but it’s not too late to get planting.
And Dobbies Plant Buyer Nigel Lawton says there are still some maintenance jobs you can do to keep your space in tip top condition.
The gardening guru shares his top five tips to follow to ensure your plants, flowers and the rest of your garden is well looked after this month.
HOTTING UP
While we have our fingers crossed for a warm July, the hotter weather can cause your flowers to struggle, so it’s important to take care of the plants you’ve worked hard on growing this far.
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Nigel says: “During hot spells, check your beds, borders, pots and baskets to see if the soil has dried out. If so, give your plants a good drink of water – some smaller plants might need watered twice a day.
“Regularly deadhead your bedding, container and basket plants and any other repeat-flowering perennials to enjoy a longer display of blooms in your garden.
“This is also a great way to keep your garden looking great during the summer months, as it gets rid of any wilted or dying flower heads to make way for new ones. Your flowers may benefit from a liquid feed, particularly your container plants, roses and dahlias.”
TRIM TIME
When the weather gets warmer, the experts say gardeners can cut back on water usage and keep your grass looking green by raising the cutting height of your lawn mower blades when trimming your grass instead.
Nigel added: “Don’t worry if your grass browns in the heat, once it rains again it should return to its usual state quite quickly.
“After cutting your lawn, don’t forget to finish it off by trimming the edges with a grass trimmer or edging shears to keep it looking neat and orderly.
“Prune any fast-growing hedges in your garden, like Leyland cypress. Make sure to tie-in any ramblers too as they continue to grow.
“Weeds thrive in dry, warm weather, so continue hoeing any weeds around your beds or vegetable patches in dry weather, as this gives you the best chance of not allowing them to re-root.”
Raise the height of your mower blades Credit: Elena Medoks
Lavender attracts bees Credit: Busybee-CR
FLOWER POWER
Summer is all about vibrant colours and lush greenery and the best way to create an exciting display is through summer bedding plants.
You can put them in hanging baskets, borders, or pots and you don’t need a lot of gardening experience to plant them out.
Nigel suggested: “Marigolds, begonias and geraniums are all bedding plants that are relatively easy to grow, love the sunshine and add beautiful colours in your garden.
“Bring the calming fragrance of lavender to your outdoor space and plant this perennial herb in your borders or large containers. Lavender also attracts bees and other pollinators to your garden, just be sure to prune after its flowering period and it will bloom for years.
“July is the last month to sow delphiniums, which should flower by next summer for a relaxing, cottage-garden feel. Meanwhile, Hydrangeas add instant impact to borders and add colour that lasts well into autumn.”
FOOD TO GROW
It’s a good time to start planning the vegetables you might want to grow in time for your favourite autumn and winter dishes, especially your Christmas dinner.
Nigel says: “This month is the perfect time to start sowing many autumn vegetables which you can harvest and use later in the year, such as carrotsbeetroot, leek, dwarf French beans, early peas, turnips, spinach and spring cabbage.
“Now’s also the perfect time to start growing your own strawberries – young strawberry plants are still available in-store in Dobbies and ready to be planted outside in beds, large pots or hanging baskets.
Keep your bird bath topped up Credit: Universal Images Group via Getty Images
“Stone fruits such as cherry and plum can be pruned this month. These types of trees are susceptible to fungal diseases through open wounds if they’re pruned in winter, so doing it during the warmer months helps reduce the risk of infection.”
You can also now harvest fruits like apricots, strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries and blackcurrants.
WILD SIDE
Summer is also a great time to see wildlife enjoying the outdoor space that you have created, according to the expert.
He said: “If you have a bird bath in your garden, keep it topped up with fresh water and make sure to clean it whenever it starts looking grubby.
“During this time of year, many birds will be in competition for food too, so keep your bird feeders full and consider having multiple feeders on display in your garden.
“For those with a pond, keep an eye out for frogs and toads which might start to appear this month.
“Plant foliage around your pond to keep these critters safe from predators.”
