July Gardening Tips - Northern Living

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Category: Home & Garden

Created on Thursday, 03 July 2014 12:44

Written by Northern Living

Flower Garden
Cut back lupins and delphiniums that have finished flowering to encourage a second flush later in the season.  Continue to deadhead the flower border on a regular basis as this will also encourage more flowers later on. Don't forget to feed all the flower borders and containers every two weeks and water well in dry weather. Containers may need watering as much as twice a day in very hot weather. Keep up with the weeding otherwise the weeds will take moisture and nutrients meant for your flowers. Take time out to sit in your garden and enjoy! 

Lawn
Keep mowing regularly unless there is a drought. Set the mower blade slightly higher than before so that if it becomes very hot the grass will not dry out so much.  Only water any recently sown grass or new turf. If an existing lawn does go brown it will recover after the first rains. 

Fruit and Vegetables
If apple trees are still over crowded with fruit after the June drop then take out any blemished fruit and the central apple from each cluster.  As soon as summer fruiting raspberries have been cropped cut out the old canes. Regularly pick courgettes to prevent them from becoming marrows. Pick peas and beans as soon as they are ready or they will become tough and stringy later. Lift and use over wintered onions. Sow spring cabbage and winter salad crop seeds. 

Wildlife
Top up bird feeders and tables regularly but avoid chunky food that could be taken back to fledglings and choke them and keep the bird bath topped up with fresh water.  Plant marigolds around the vegetable garden to attract hoverflies and grow more plants that have single flowers rather then doubles as these seem to attract insects better. Don't deadhead roses that produce hips as these will be a valuable food source later on in the season. 

Looking Good This Month

Delphinium - Tall growing stately flowers in many shades.
Helianthus - Sun flower. Tallest growing flower with large heads.
Nicotiana - Flowering tobacco. Large leaves with fragrant white flowers.
Nymphaea - Water lilies. Good colour, shape and coverage of ponds.
Roses - Climbers, ramblers, bush, shrub and patio. Good colour and scent.
Solanum Crispum - Potato vine. Fast growing climber. Profuse lilac or white flowers.
Verbena Bonariensis - Tall airy plant that you can see through with purple flowers atop.

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