July 2010
July is said to be one of the hottest months of the year as long as if doesn’t rain on the 15th of July (St Swithen’s day) as legend says it will rain for 40 days and nights. Let’s be honest we need a bit more rain at the moment! Read full blog post
July Pruning
Cut back geraniums now to encourage a second flush of flowers, cut and feed faded delphiniums. Achileas, delphiniums, salvia and lupins will flower again if cut down to the ground. Read full blog post
July Natural Remedy
Calendula officinalis or pot marigold is a member of the daisy family and possesses many healing qualities. It is not to be confused with the more common marigold. Flowers appear from June to November and are edible, use the petals to add to salads while the dried petals have a more concentrated flavour which is often used as an alternative to saffron. Read full blog post
July Veg
Pick courgettes before they turn into marrows! Sow globe beetroot, chicory, endive and other salad crops. Continue to sow chervil, dill and parsley seeds. Lift early potatoes. Read full blog post
July Top Tips
Plant autumn flowering bulbs now - Colchicum, Eranthis and Nerine. Collect seeds from plants to grow next year, divide congested clumps of bearded iris now. Read full blog post
July Plant of the Month
One of the prettiest July blooms are to be found on the good old fashioned Antirrhinum majus or Snapdragon. Tubular blooms are borne on spikes, squeeze the throat of the flower and it opens and snaps shut like a puppet a great little trick to show the kids! Victorian gardeners loved Snapdragons and these popular annuals are making a comeback once again. Antirrhinums are available in a huge variety of colours from white to scarlet, rusty bronze and primrose to deep purple and lavender Read full blog post
July Pest and Disease Watch
Aphids may be eating away at Nasturtiums right now, apply a systemic insecticide and avoid excessive use of nitrogen-rich fertilisers. the green house introduce predatory larva such as the parasitic wasp (aphidius matricariae). Ants carry aphids from plant to plant so place grease bands round tree trunksand so Tansy or rue which are said to repel both ants and aphids Read full blog post
June 2010
The longest day of the year occurs in June, the 21st to be exact signalling spring is well and truly over- roll on the summer! All that sunshine and extra light is great for the barbequing and tanning fanatics among us, however for the humble gardener it can result in a surge of weed growth, green fly and brown and thirsty lawns... Read full blog post
June Pruning
June is the perfect time to prune spring and early summer flowering shrubs, spirea, deutzia, kolkwitzia, weigela and lilac are all ready to prune after flowering. Prune immediately after flowering to ensure the new growth has sufficient time enough for the wood to ripen... Read full blog post
June Natural Remedy
Leave the hips or haws on your roses to attract birds like Blackbirds and Greenfinches and small mammals like voles who feed on the hips... Read full blog post
June Veg
Sow turnip, salad leaves, radish, courgettes and winter beetroots, pinch out the growing tips on runner beans if bushy plants are required, support climbing runner beans... Read full blog post
June Top Tips
Hellebore seed can be harvested once the seed heads have ripened, if the seed heads pop when squeezed they are ready to use. Sow seed immediately as the seeds need to lay dormant in the ground ready for the onset of winter frosts, which damage the seed and kick start the germination process. Remember the seed sown may differ from the parent plant, in order to get a plant true to form take a root cutting instead... Read full blog post
June Plant of the Month
My favourite summer bedding plant is Cosmos, a light delicate pretty cottage garden plant in a variety of colours including white, red and rose pink. A good choice for adding height to a border, the fern like foliage has an ethereal quality which looks good will tall billowy grasses, aquilegia or planted in drifts... Read full blog post
June Pest and Disease Watch
Watch out for red Lillie beetle, the little blighters can strip a plant in days - lilies and fritillaries are the main culprits, pick the little beasts off. They are pretty disgusting insects, frequently found covered in their own slimy black excrement… They will much through your plants between May and September... Read full blog post
