Gardening Tips

Is your garden summer ready?

Summer is finally here, and it’s time to plant your annual summer bedding plants. Whether it’s for a bed, container or hanging basket, The Arium has a fabulous selection of plants to provide stunning colour right through to autumn, including everyone’s favourites - Petunias, Marigolds, Dahlias and Geraniums – all grown in our onsite glasshouse.

With a huge assortment of upright and trailing annuals on offer, why not plant your own container or hanging basket? We have many designs to choose from and these provide a long-lasting splash of seasonal colour; for those who prefer an easier life, select a ready-planted version.

Jobs for the month

• Summer perennials such as Rudbeckia, Digitalis and Hosta provide a riot of colour and will bloom for years to come, saving you replanting your garden each year. Digitalis is an herbaceous perennial, commonly known as the Foxglove. It’s a popular plant, loved for its tall spires of bell-shaped flowers in a variety of colours. They create a lovely show at the back of a border. Check that your plants are the perennial variety as some are biennials.
   
• Plant shrubs such as Buddleia and Lavender to attract butterflies and bees to your garden, these are robust and reliable shrubs which are ideal for containers too, and add a splash of purple. Remember, our nursery team are on hand to answer all your gardening questions and give advice.
   
• Cut back any remaining leaves from Spring flowering bulbs, once they have started to turn yellow and die back. Deadhead any Summer bedding plants to encourage more flowers.
   
• Nothing tastes as good as home-grown salad, fruit and vegetables and it’s not too late to grow your own… there’s a wide choice of seeds to sow, plus a selection of young plants ready to plant out. Many varieties can be grown in containers, and if you are growing from seed, sow some every few weeks to guarantee crops throughout the season. If the weather is hot and dry move containers to a shady spot.
   
• Make sure you stake any plants, such as Sweet Peas, that are likely to flop as they grow taller. Use garden sticks, canes or plant supports to keep them looking good. Tie climbing plant such as Clematis, Wisteria and Jasmine as they grow, spreading the plants across the trellis, obelisk or arbour.

Lawn

• If the hot, dry days continue, raise the blades on your lawn mower to allow the grass to feed on its roots. Never remove more than one third of the grass length on any one occasion. It’s time to edge your lawn, to define the shape and stop grass creeping into your borders.

Indoor Gardening

• Microgreens and salad leaves grow quickly and are perfect for growing if space is short. Any shallow container with drainage holes will be fine, keep the compost moist but not too wet, watering in the morning. Make sure to water well on hot, sunny days.
• If your houseplants are producing offsets, now is the time to separate them and pot up individually.

Wildlife

• Look after the bugs in your garden this summer with a bug hotel! You can build your own with bits and pieces around you garden or treat yourself to one from our selection. They are great for any garden and can be fitted to a wall or fence. Check out the residents – you could get ladybirds, hoverflies or earwigs.
   
• Make sure that your bird bath or bowl is kept topped up, especially in hot weather and enjoy watching the birds come for a drink or refreshing dip.

If you’re new to gardening, or just need some advice, please chat to one of our nursery team who’ll be glad to help you. Happy Gardening!