Enjoy the moment, but keep a note of gaps to fill
July is the month when the pastels of spring make way for the bold, fiery colours of summer – or at least they should. This time last year my borders looked distinctly drab, so this spring I planted Helenium, Hemerocallis and Salvia to boost colour in July. Regularly casting a critical eye over the garden is a useful habit for identifying gaps or a lack of colour at particular times. When there’s a space to fill, visits to local open gardens and nurseries are a great source of inspiration and often an opportunity to splash out on some unusual plants.
Herbaceous perennials can still be planted now if kept well watered, but this is the ideal time to plant autumnflowering bulbs, such as Nerine bowdenii and autumn-flowering crocuses (Colchicum), for extra colour later in the year. Congested clumps of nerines and bearded irises, which often flower poorly or are tangled with weeds, can be lifted and divided now. Both need shallow planting (with the tops of the bulbs or rhizomes proud of the soil) in full sun and a free-draining soil to perform well.
July’s long, mild evenings suit pottering outside, which makes for a relaxing way to get a few jobs done. A little regular deadheading and light weeding keeps borders at their best, and any flower stems knocked by bad weather can be propped up with a stake. Pouncing on peas, beans, courgettes and salad leaves while they’re young and at their most delicious also helps keep the plants productive for longer. Keep an eye on soft fruit too, or it will quickly over-ripen. Picking will be underway with gooseberries and redcurrants,
Find a trusted friend to keep up the watering if you’re away
but blackcurrants, strawberries and blueberries are coming on stream now, making picking and preserving a priority for anyone with a fruit plot. Even at this late stage it’s worth netting crops to keep hungry birds out, particularly if you will be away.
Stop climbing bean, tomato and cucumber plants at the top of their supports by pinching out their growing tips, to concentrate their energies on ripening a harvest. Water greenhouse vegetables consistently and feed with a high potash tomato fertiliser to help fruit develop and ripen without splitting. A daily watering routine is helpful, but adapt it to changing weather conditions, and find a trusted friend to keep up the good work if you’re away. In all honesty, July is a terrible time for a holiday if you grow your own: I always end up packing while jam bubbles on the stove and fretting about tomato plants while I’m on the beach. But then again, it’s exciting to come home and see how much everything has grown. n