Learn how to make the most of your garden this July, plus sweet-scented blooms to give your green space a charming aroma

July is the month to make the most of your garden with a few feature comforts as well as sweetly scented blooms

The reward for busy gardeners is to sit back and enjoy the warm days of summer that stretch into long, balmy evenings. It is a good time to add some functional accessories to your patch though, as they will help your garden serve as an extension to your living space.

You are far more likely to spend time in your garden if comfy seating lures you out. Invest in a relaxing lounger or sofa and add padded cushions and throws to metal, wooden or plastic chairs.

A feature sun umbrella will not only be practical in the heat of the day but will also add a colourful focal point to any garden setting. The exquisite Helena and Wolfie round bamboo parasols (shown right) from East London Parasol Company are well worth the investment, as they will last for many summers to come.

Make your garden glow when the sun goes down with hanging lights and lanterns. Lights4fun has a wide range of sparkling string lights in various sizes and colours that will add a magical vibe to trees, fences or wrapped around pergolas. If you don’t have an outdoor power source, opt for either the solarpowered sets, which are maintenance free, or easy to install battery-powered ones.

Stretch out al fresco evenings with friends and family by installing an outdoor heater close to your seating area. For contemporary or traditional gardens we love Not On The High Street’s Tall Chimney outdoor fireplace (pictured left) – crafted from iron, it radiates warmth over a wide area.

In the flower garden, fill any empty gaps in the border with late-blooming perennials, to keep continuity of colour alive until the first frosts. Hard-working and reliable varieties to try include Sedums, Rudbeckia fulgida, Verbena bonariensis and Liriope muscari.

Keep the fruit and vegetable garden productive by picking produce as soon as it ripens.

Elongate evenings with a Tall Chimney outdoor fireplace, £625, Not On The High Street Stretch out al fresco evenings with friends and family by installing an outdoor heater close to your seating area

Fill gappy borders with Rudbeckia fulgida for a rich riot of late-summer colour – it works beautifully in informal gardens and alongside ornamental grasses

Create a cosy atmosphere by layering up outdoor candles, lanterns and twinkling lights. Prices from £8.99, Lights4fun

Plant this hardy evergreen perennial, Liriope muscari, for pillars of bluepurple blooms every autumn

Wolfie (left) and Helena (right) parasols, from East London Parasol Company. Prices start at £399