July in the Garden

Tips for a Blooming Good Summer!

As the sun shines brightly and the flowers bloom in July, it is the perfect time to enjoy your garden to the fullest. With a little care and attention, your garden can thrive even during the hottest and driest days of summer. Here are some expert tips to help you get the most from your garden this July.

Pick Flowers for the Home and Continue Deadheading

One of the simplest ways to keep your garden looking fresh and beautiful in July is by picking flowers such as roses, dahlias, and sweet peas regularly. This not only allows you to enjoy them indoors but also encourages the plants to produce more blooms. The best time to cut flowers is early in the morning when the stems are turgid, and conditions are cool. Deadheading, or removing spent flowers, is also important to prevent the plants from putting all their energy into seed production. Harvest lavender flowers now for drying and filling fragrant, moth-repellent drawer sachets. My top tip is to select the spikes with freshly opened flowers, these are the most fragrant.

Sow Biennial Seeds for Next Year’s Flowers

July is a good time to sow biennial seeds such as foxgloves, honesty (Lunaria annua), wallflowers, and forget-me-nots. These seeds will germinate and grow into young plants that will flower next year, helping to fill out your garden at very little cost.

Tidy Up Shrubs and Perennials

Take this opportunity to tidy up shrubs and perennials by removing any dead or damaged growth. After flowering has finished, prune summer-flowering shrubs such as Philadelphus and Deutzia. This will help maintain their shape and encourage healthy new growth. Hardy geraniums can be cut back hard once they have finished flowering and start looking ragged. Cutting geraniums back now will encourage the production of fresh new foliage and a late summer flush of flowers. Mulching around garden plants can help retain moisture in the soil and suppress weeds. Don’t forget to water your plants regularly, especially during hot, dry spells. Finally, remember to water and fertilise summer bedding plants in pots and hanging baskets to keep your displays looking vibrant.

Thin Out Fruits and Summer Pruning

Inspect your fruit trees and thin out any excess fruit production to ensure a good harvest. Remove any diseased, damaged or misshapen fruits to improve the quality of your crop. Water fruit trees regularly, especially while the fruit is still swelling.

July is the time to prune stone fruit trees, such as cherry, plum and apricot. Do your summer pruning on a dry day. This horticultural practice helps reduce the risk of the fungal disease silver leaf, which can result in the death of branches on your tree.

Enjoy the Fruits of Your Labour

Start harvesting runner beans and courgettes to encourage continued production. Remember to mulch and water your vegetable plants to keep them from drying out. Feed courgette, tomato, pepper, and aubergine plants weekly to ensure a bountiful harvest. Freeze surplus herbs for winter use.

Invite Friends and Family Over for a Summer Barbecue

Now that your garden is in full bloom, why not invite friends and family around for a summer barbecue? Enjoying good food and drinks in the shade of your garden is the perfect way to make the most of the summer months. So don’t forget to make time to put down the watering can and put on your barbeque gloves and apron while the summer weather lasts!

Further Information

How to freeze herbs:

https://extension.psu.edu/freezing-herbs

How to thin fruit trees:

https://www.rhs.org.uk/fruit/fruit-trees/thinning

Silver leaf disease:

https://www.rhs.org.uk/disease/silver-leaf

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