Summer in Your Garden
Summertime is fast approaching and we can (hopefully!) look forward to several months of warmth and sunshine. Summer is a glorious time of the year for your garden. There are so many beautiful plants and trees to choose to bring colour, fragrance and style to your garden. You can choose to bring colour to your borders or to have amazing displays in your hanging baskets. It is quite a busy time of year in terms of planting out and maintaining your displays.
The following is a brief guide to some of the jobs you may need to do around your garden, the weather issues that you may need to consider and some ideas of the kind of plants you can choose to grow.
Jobs to Do
Summer work starts in May and the following jobs may be necessary:
Protect tender plants from late frosts
Earth up potatoes
Plant out summer bedding at the end of the month (except in cold areas)
Collect rainwater in preparation for any potential drought
Regularly hoe off weeds
Open greenhouse vents and doors on warm days
Mow lawns weekly
Lift and divide overcrowded clumps of daffodils and other spring-flowering bulbs
Harden off greenhouse raised plants before placing outside
June brings with it extra light and greater warmth. The following jobs may be required:
June is a warm month and weeds will flourish so hoe borders regularly
Pinch out sideshoots on tomatoes
Harvest lettuce, radish, other salads and early potatoes
Position summer hanging baskets and containers outside
Cut lawns at least once a week
Plant out summer bedding
Stake tall plants
Prune many spring-flowering shrubs
Shade greenhouses to keep them cool and prevent scorch
July is one of the hottest months and the following may be needed:
Place conservatory plants outside now that it is warm
Water tubs and new plants if dry
Deadhead bedding plants and repeat-flowering perennials to ensure continuous flowering
Pick courgettes before they become marrows
Treat apple scab
Clear algae, blanket weeds and debris from ponds, and keep them topped up
Order catalogues for next year's spring-flowering bulbs
Give the lawn a quick-acting summer feed, especially if a spring feed was not done
Give woodwork a lick of paint or preserver, while the weather is dry
August is generally the hottest and sultriest month and watering will be essential!
Prune Wisteria
Deadhead flowering plants regularly
Watering is vital now - try to use recycled water where possible
Collect seed for next year
Harvest sweetcorn and other vegetables as they become ready
Cut out old fruited canes on raspberries
Lift and pot up rooted strawberry runners
Keep ponds and water features topped up
Feed the soil with green manures
Weather Considerations
The middle of May can be one of the driest times of year, particularly in the south, and most gardens will begin to dry out. Monitor the situation and water where necessary. The weather conditions in may can change quite dramatically, with hot and cold temperatures following each other quickly. This can lead to soft growth, which is then at risk of frost damage. When the days are warm, ventilate your greenhouse. Tender plants may still need to be protected from frost and winds during May and herbaceous borders may benefit from being properly staked in case of gusty winds.
June is one of the drier months so watering is still an important task. Do not wait until plants have wilted and pay close attention to new plants and seed beds. There is greater light and warmth during June, and temperatures can reach 27°C (80°F) in most parts of the country so it is important to ventilate greenhouses. Blinds and shading paints can be applied to glass to prevent scorching and overheating.
July is still a very warm month so, again, ventilation and watering are important issues.
August is usually one of the hottest months of the year so watering will be a major concern. Despite the still conditions, it is worth checking plant stakes and supports, as thunderstorms and heavy rain can be just as damaging as high winds.
Summer Plants
Summer provides an abundance of plants to choose from. It is usually the time for annual bedding plants, but you can plant perennials now to give you a display year after year. Here is a list of some you may choose:
Begonia
Alyssum
Busy Lizzie
Antirrhinum
Geranium
Dicentra
Penstemon
Osteospermum
Verbena
Marigolds
Lobelia
Petunia
Many of these plants will look stunning in hanging baskets. Horticolour provides a first rate hanging basket service. Simply tell us what you would like and we will do the hard work for you!
How Horticolour can Help
Horticolour can provide you with all the assistance you need to get your garden looking beautiful for the new season and the year ahead. We can help you with everything from simple maintenance tasks right up to designing and installing your garden display. We can visit you at your home to discuss your planting needs with no obligation to buy. Here is a sample of what we can provide you with:
Call us now on 01582 872958 to find out more or come and visit us at the nursery. Horticolour want to help you make your garden grow!
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