By now your garden should be in full bloom! There is still plenty to do this month - take a look below at our suggestions on how to keep your garden happy this summer.
Potted Plants
- Remove dead flowers from your containers, this will encourage new growth for the new year.
- Fill in any gaps from dead flowers that won’t regrow with in season plants such as – Petunias, Impatiens and Dahlias, all of which will provide instant colour to your garden!
- Don’t forget during the summer months your garden will need much more water than ususal, so it is important to establish a regular watering regime.
Border plants
As the early-flowering summer plants begin to fade, you may spot gaps in your borders.
Here is how to make your garden come to life again:
- Trim back spent perennials, this may give them a second wind at life and a fresh flush of blooms.
- Visit your local nursery or garden centre, they will have seasonal flowers which are likely to remain in bloom for the next couple of weeks – months, until your late summer flowers come into bloom.
- If you have a spot which is particularly shady, Hostas are great at filling in an area, with their luscious green tropical foliage and blue or white flowers in the summer.
- As the weather reaches it’s peak watering is essential, the best way to water your plants during the heat is to apply enough to moisten the plants entire root system – a soaker hose is ideal for this. Avoid watering the flower and the leaves and aim towards the base of the plant.
What to plant this month
Iris
Irises are perennials flowering from Spring through Winter.
Irises prefer partial shade and moist slightly acidic soil.
*some parts of an Iris – if digested can cause stomach upset in animals
Delphinium
Delphiniums are very attractive to local pollinators.
They flower throughout the summer, preferring full sun and a moist soil.
*Seeds and young plants can be harmful to dogs if eaten in quantity
Foxgloves ‘Digitalis’
There are around 25 species of foxglove, including both perrenial and biennial, some of which are evergreen.
Foxgloves prefer full sun to partial shade, they flower from Spring through Summer and bear “fruit” in the Autumn.
*Can cause nausea and vomiting in dogs
Forget-me-nots ‘Myosotis’
Sow the seeds in late summer / early Autumn ready for next year.
They are prolific for spreading throughout your garden space, if they grow in an undesirable area they are easy to lift and re-plant.
They prefer full sun to partial shade in a moist soil, they are generally pretty hardy against frost.