The lazy, hazy days of summer are best spent enjoying your garden or outside space that you have lovingly nurtured and cared for over the past months.
This is often one of the hottest months of the year so make sure you keep plants well watered, using grey water where possible, and hoe off weeds which thrive at this time of year.
If your garden isn’t flooded with sunshine all day then don’t worry – there are many plants that thrive and blossom in shady areas, and making sure you choose the right ones is essential for successful growing.
So, thrifty tip for the month is … save money by selecting the right plant for the right place so you don’t have to keep replacing those that are struggling or dying.
And get to know your shade.
Partial shade refers to areas that are shaded by buildings or trees and shrubs for up to six hours on sunny days – most gardens are in partial shade. Light shade is often used to describe shade cast by trees that is dappled and is suited to woodland plants in the summer and spring bulbs that finish flowering before trees are in leaf. Deep shade is when little or no light reaches the area during the growing season and is really only suitable for ferns and woodland plants.
Partial shade is also a great place to grow leafy herbs and vegetables, particularly as lower light conditions tend to result in no fruits and no roots but lots of greenery. So plants like tomatoes and potatoes won’t survive, but chard and spinach will be very happy.
Vegetable and herb plants growing in shade have the same soil requirements as full sun plants – rich well-drained organic matter – but watering needs differ slightly. It’s best to water at the base of the plants early in the morning or evening to prevent fungal issues. Growing shade vegetables is easy and a great solution for small spaces such as balconies, patios and fence lines.
If you have a garden that has more sunlight than shade then flowers that love the heat of the summer are the elegant echinaceas. Known for their use in herbal medicine, these herbaceous perennials have pretty, daisy-like flowers with a central cone that matures from orange to black, hence their common name, coneflower. They’re easy to grow in a sunny position as they tolerate most soils and their sturdy stems mean that staking is unnecessary. Their flowers are favourites of bees and butterflies and their spiky seed cones offer winter texture and food for birds.
Echinaceas are hardy up to around -15°C and there are hundreds of varieties. Seen by many as a garden must-have some new and popular varieties include ‘Pink Shimmer’ with a prominent orange-cone and flat, bright pink scented flower that grows to 100cm tall; ‘Green Jewel’ tall but compact with long stems up to 80cm and pale green petals with a cone that turns orange as the flower ages; and ‘Virginia’ which reaches 80cm tall with good sizes scented white flowers.
Another showy flowering plant that can last right through the summer is the hydrangea and now is the time to take cuttings if you want to propagate your favourite variety.
The RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) recommends that you cut 8-10cm long, non-flowering shoots, just below a pair of leaves. Remove the lower leaves, then put the stem into a pot of gritty compost, water, cover with a polythene bag and pop in a shady spot for four weeks to root.
Other jobs on the RHS Gardener’s Checklist for July include…
- Deadhead roses
- Don’t spray pests – let natural predators eat them or remove by hand
- Prune plum trees
- Prune magnolias
- Trim and shape conifers
- Move houseplants outdoors for a few weeks
- Keep ponds topped up
- Lift garlic crops
- Sow spring cabbage
- Target watering to specific plants and growing areas
