Summer is here and hopefully your hard work in earlier months is paying off. July is a time to start reaping the rewards whether in fragrance and blooms or “treasure” from the kitchen garden. A bit of light maintenance this month will keep your growing productive.

Spring flowering shrubs (like Forsythia, Weigela and Philadelphus) can be pruned now. While shaping the plants, cut out older flowered wood as next year’s flowers will form on this summer’s growth. For Wisteria cut out the new long, whippy growth, taking it back to 6-7 buds.

For summer flowering shrubs and bedding plants keep this year’s flowers coming by dead-heading. Flowers like sweet peas, Dahlias and repeat flowering roses all respond well to this treatment. Picking your favourites to make fragrant and colourful indoor displays also helps to prolong flowering.

Sweet Peas

Dahlias 26 July

July is a month for treats from the kitchen garden. Strawberries and raspberries are at their peak, early potatoes can be dug as and when you need them, fresh peas are lucky to make it as far as the kitchen and the first beans, courgettes and tomatoes should all be ready. Once the foliage dies back lift garlic bulbs ready for storage (or indeed making garlic butter for your new potatoes). However, you’ll still need to monitor for pests, especially if you grow brassicas, the cabbage white season is now upon us.

New Potatoes

Multi-coloured Tomatoes

High summer is the time to look out for Box tree caterpillars. The first sign is often not the caterpillars themselves, but the webbing that the moths leave amongst the foliage. You can now buy traps for the moths which will tell you that you are likely to have an imminent caterpillar problem.  This article on the RHS website gives a very helpful overview and includes suggestions on alternative planting options if the caterpillars are winning,

As most nestlings will have fledged by the end of the month, it is a good time to tidy up hedges without any risk of disturbing nesting birds. While caring for birds, top up bird baths to make sure that there is water easily available.

To prepare for a splash of cheerful colour in the autumn, July is the perfect month to plant Colchicums and autumn flowering crocuses.