Gardening Tips

July is traditionally one of the hottest months of the year and the time to sit out and enjoy your garden.

This year it this has not been the case, with constant downpours. However, if we do get some hot spells or even a heatwave, whilst you’re enjoying in the sun, spare a thought for your flowers and plants and make sure you look after them.

Avoid watering at the hottest part of the day. If possible, water early in the morning to provide plants with water throughout the day and to stop evaporation due to the heat. Alternatively, water late into the evening. Placing a saucer underneath a pot allows water draining through to be caught and soaked up later. On very hot days, look at moving potted plants to a shadier area. Established shrubs in borders should not need watering as much, only water the plants that need it.

Jobs for the month

• Fill any gaps in your borders or containers with garden-ready flowering plants for the summer, such as dahlias, rudbeckia and agapanthus. Add some foliage plants, such as ferns and heuchera to provide texture and colour.
   
• You can still plant perennials and shrubs in the summer. The key to successful summer planting is giving your plant a little extra attention. Water the roots, not the leaves. Deep watering encourages plants to develop roots that find water in the soil when it is dry.
   
• Container-grown lilies can be planted during the early summer, they will transplant well into your garden even while they are blooming. This brightly coloured perennial makes a glamorous addition to the garden. Pop them in if some earlier planted annuals have faded or where you would like some height in your flower bed. Make sure you keep new plants well-watered.
   
• Encourage bedding plants to repeat flower by regularly dead heading, this way you will extend the flowering season and enjoy a longer display of blooms. Give them an added boost with some liquid feed such as tomato food. Make sure to remove roses as they fade, breaking just below the flower head.
   
• Keep on top of the weeds. Removing weeds as they grow stops them competing with your garden plants for water.
   
• Time to trim hedges and conifers, if you are trimming hedges and shrubs keep a look out for birds’ nests, some may still have fledglings in, if so make sure to leave your tidying up a few weeks longer.
   
• Finally, start planning for spring, take a look at our wide range of seeds and spring bulbs coming into store soon - ready for planting in September.
   

Indoor Gardening

• Give your indoor plants a treat and put them outdoors for a couple of weeks, however keep them away from extreme temperatures.
   

Lawn care

• In hot spells your lawn can go yellow, but it will recover once the rain starts. Be sure to raise the cutting height of your mower as the grass will grow slower in hot weather.

Wildlife

• Remember to leave out a saucer of water for hedgehogs and other wildlife. Place it in the shade under shrubs or hedges where they might be resting. Top up any ponds or water features you may have. Take a look at the lovely new stone bird baths in store and make it a feature of your garden.
   
• Take part in the UK’s annual Big Butterfly Count from 14 July to 6 August. Spend 15 minutes in your garden and note down all the species of butterflies you see. Download a free Butterfly ID Chart from https://bit.ly/BC-BigButterflyCount