Mid Year Review
Reflecting, preparing for the autumn and next year's flowers.
Midsummer is one of my favourite times of the year, and last week, we got a taste of the summer. Sitting here in a winter wooly, I am reflecting on the first half of the year in cool July, thinking about the tasks for the rest of the summer.
I take liberties to suggest that there are several ‘new year’ starts, across the horticultural annum. September is a big one for me and when I begin the annual ‘Grow Your Own Cut Flowers’ Course. At that point, the gardens in September are at their best, we look at the year gone, where we want to go, then putting the space the bed for the winter before planning for the next year.
Confusingly, planning for next year has already started. With timelines and lists ever over lapping in a garden, I have sown biennials and also started off some perennials for next year (lupins, sweet rocket, wallflowers, sweet williams, and foxgloves). Whilst also planting out seedlings for later this summer. I call it planning and growing in 4D. Planting out seedlings in spots that will be taken by plants I am sowing right now. I see the beds in layers. Many annuals about to flower now will be over be early August. What will go in their place?
In my minds eye, I see a pendulum of the year’s clock hang for a moment in July, before it swings the other way, ticking along the next half of the year. July is that split second where I take a breath. The work is done. I can no longer sow any more seeds for this year that will flower. It’s all about feeding, staking, cutting and deadheading. We can have a little disco nap, a snooze in the hammock before the explosion of flowers in August and September, the pinnacle of the flower garden when beds are full with abundance.
So I’m reviewing how the first part of the year went and thinking about what needs to be done in the next few months.