July Notes from the Studio

Garden tasks and growing flowers

What to do in July

The work has been done now, with everything planted, we can drop a gear or two and enjoy the summer for the next two months. Most are ‘titivating’ jobs; yes water tomatoes and pots daily, cut sweet peas and dead head. But mostly, relax and appreciate the fruits of your labour so far this year.

1. Pick flowers and dead head

   To keep flowers coming, keep harvesting and certainly pinch off the spent flowers to stop plants running to seed. If they do, collect the seeds (how to save and why your own saved seed is always better)

   

2. Stake plants

   If you take nothing else from this, stake your plants when you plant! I said this last month. And the month before. Use canes and string, jute netting or pretty chestnut hurdles. Whatever, just give the plants some support as they grow, including dahlias, ammi & cosmos. #10 of my Flower Growing Manifesto is staking, How I do it.

3. Clear Biennials

   Now they’ve all finished flowering, these can be cleared and late summer half hardy annuals (cosmos, nicotiana, zinnias) planted in their place. If you don’t have anything to plant, see below!

4. Green Manures

   If you’ve cleared ground but don’t have anything to plant out, or even planted out and have lots of space around immature plants, sow green manures directly onto the soil. These are great fast growing plants that bring nutrients up, open up the soil, add organic matter and suppress unwanted weeds. They also activate the soil biology if the ground has been bare by making food. I cover ground with them, interplant and even cut them for flowers! Want to know more about these?

   In July and August, sow winter hardy green manures to keep the soil active and photosynthesising right through to the spring.

   

   Buckwheat interplanted with nasturiums and late autumn chrysanthemums

5. Deadheading

   One of my favourite jobs, tidying up and promoting flowering. I’m pinching off perennial cornflowers, calendula, corncockle, roses, all sorts. I’m not tidy, I throw the spent flowers into the beds but that’s more food for the soil.

   

6. Cutting Back

   If whole perennial plants have finished flowering, I cut them back and give a good feed, they might have another go in September. Try this on nepeta, ladies mantle, geraniums and anything that has been flattened by the rain and turning. Feed plants afterwards.

7. Feeding

   I rarely remember to feed. I probably don’t manage once a month but ideally I would. And maybe more often for dahlias, sweet peas and tomatoes. But do what you can. Using the sprayer is easy and quick, but I find my homemade comfrey or any feeds block it up too easily so I hand feed with watering cans. A little goes a long way. Here are my feed recipes.

8. Lift and divide Iris

   I am going to divide all my bearded Iris, plus the eremurus (foxtail lillies) which are well overdue. I share pictures when I do.

9. Summer Nights

   I LIVE for the long summer evenings. Most of all enjoy it! I recommend a hammock.

   

Harvesting

Shrubs, Trees & Climbers - Most shrubs and climbers have had foliage that is too new and fresh to cut and arrange with. By the end of the month, stems will be more mature and can be cut. Roses are doing well this year.

Perennials - Mints and oregano are in flower now, eryngium, ecinops, cephalaria, penstemon, dianthus, canterbury bells, verbena bonariensis, salvias

Bulbs - Alliums and Lillies

Annuals - Loads, all of them! calendula, cornflowers, corncockle, nicotiana, snapdragons, larkspur, achillea, and many more.

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