Monty’s month

July is another season from June. Summer shifts and alters its angle. None of the freshness that June inherits from spring remains, but in its place there is a lushness and richness of colour, texture and sheer volume. Another wave of plants takes over the reins from the early summer flowering, and by the end of the month all the tender annuals – such as sunflowers, tithonias, zinnias, cosmos, nasturtiums and petunias as well as bananas, cannas and dahlias – are hitting their full stride.

To accommodate this high summer flush of flowering, however, you will have to cut back the earlier perennials, such as oriental poppies, delphiniums and hardy geraniums. This will both remove the dying foliage and flowers (that might otherwise rot and damage the crown) and will let in the light and air that is needed to encourage regrowth and possible reflowering in a month or so. This also creates room to plant out annuals or any new perennials you obtain to continue the floral pageant.