july gardening jobs in our gardens for oldies and newbies,

annie123 · 28 June 2008 at 4:52PM

Well if we are lucky summer should be here and time to get out as much as poss. :j but I won't hold my breath:rolleyes:
Lots to harvest from the kitchen gardening, and plenty to do elsewhere.
Dont forget to take note of any plants that didn't do well where they are and could benefit from moving later.

Same as last month...water, feed and weed! I do find a glass of wine in one hand helps;)
Here are some ideas for what can be done now,

do remember to allow for local weather where you live.

FLOWER GARDEN

There are now plenty of seeds to collect and dry, including poppies, aquilegia, lychnis, alchemilla, alliums.
Take cuttings of rosemary, sage fuchsias. Geranium/Pelargonium cuttings may be made, if already done pot on if the roots fill the pot
Summer blooming shrubs can be pruned after they have finished flowering. Cut the dead heads off buddleias to improve the look and size of the next flowers. Remove any dead or diseased branches.
Fertilize flowering shrubs like Rhododendrons, Camellias and Azaleas immediately after they have finished flowering with a Evergreen type fertilizer.
Plant autumn flowering bulbs like colchicums
Dead head peonies and delphiniums petunias, argyranthemums etc for longer flowering and all annuals too seem to keep going longer
After flowering, prune old-fashioned and shrub roses, Prune rambler roses that flowered in early summer, cutting down the old flowering shoots close to the ground.
Lavatera bushes may need pruning overcrowding neighbouring plants. Thin and trim stems as required, but take care not to lose the informal shape of the bush, or too many flowers
Trim lavender flowers
Bearded Iris may be divided and replanted when they have finished blooming
Sow seeds of Hollyhocks, daisies, Foxgloves, Violas, Canterbury bells, Sweet William. Biennials, such as foxgloves, sweet william, Canterbury bells and forget-me-nots can also be sown

KITCHEN GARDEN

Sow spring cabbage and winter, some quick-maturing ("early") peas. spring cabbages, too, for harvesting early next year. Also more salads, radicchio and other chicories, Chinese cabbage and rocket, turnips, Oriental vegetables, chicory, fennel, and autumn/winter salads such as lamb’s lettuce.
Carrots can still be sown, but beware carrot fly
Last chance to sow French and runner beans
Put ripening marrows and squashes on to a bed of straw to lift them away from wet ground and slugs.
Edible flowers taste best when picked and eaten the same day. Harvest flowers in the morning, after the dew has dried or right before sundown. Leave stems intact when picking and storing, remove them just before serving. Loosely pack flowers in an airtight container with a moist, paper towel folded in the bottom. Add them to the dish as the last step in preparation
Currants: Prune immediately they have fruited. Cut out old canes to ground level and tie in new ones. Prune weakest stems from blackcurrants planted out last winter
Gooseberries: Prune immediately they have fruited. Cut out old canes to ground level and tie in new ones.
Plant out rooted strawberry runners.
Pick healthy sprigs and shoots of herbs to dry, sow parsley for autumn crop. Lightly clip sage and thyme after flowering.
Don’t let onions go short of water or their yield will be severely reduced.

POND AND WILDLIFE

Top up ponds and water features if necessary
Remove dead foliage and blooms from water lilies and other aquatic plants. Cut back any marginal plants that are getting out of hand.
Skim off floating weeds, such as duckweed, with a net, rake, scoop. Leave weeds on the side of the pond for 24 hours to allow trapped creatures to return to the water, before adding the weed to the compost heap.
Blanket weed can be pulled out by twirling a stick through the water to dredge it out. Again, leave weeds on the side for 24 hours before composting them.
Top up bird feeders and bird bath don’t forget to clean them
Avoid chunky foods that could choke young fledglings
Make piles of logs, twigs and/or rocks to create shelter for wildlife
Go bat-watching on a summer evening!
Put out hedgehog and badger food
Watch out for adult frogs and toads leaving the pond this month
Trim hedges less frequently to allow wildlife to shelter and feed in them
Leave nesting birds undisturbed in garden shrubs and hedges
Cut spring meadows once bulb foliage has died down
Mow recently established perennial meadows to reduce weeds
Annual meadows do not need mowing
Leave roses that produce hips without dead-heading
Damselflies and dragonflies are out in abundance. They are usually spotted near ponds and lakes. Damselflies have a lazier, zigzagging pattern of flight, whereas dragonflies take a faster and more direct flight path. This is their breeding season, and you may see them mating in mid-air, or laying their eggs around the pond.
Pond skaters and water boatmen can be seen skating on the pond surface in search of food.
Hoverflies are in abundance this month. They are good garden 'pest catchers', so are to be encouraged. They do not sting even though they look similar to wasps - this is just the scary camouflage they use to deter predators. Gardeners have traditionally planted marigolds around the vegetable patch to attract hoverflies to their crops as pest control.
Wasps, despite their reputation as fruit blemishing, stinging pests, are good controllers of many garden pests, including flies and grubs. They are also useful pollinators of flowers.

I am sure this list is getting longer! sorry
As I have been away recently I am a bit behind so sorry if I have left anything obvious out.

Please feel free to add to the list so that we all may gain ideas.

Happy gardening everyone:D

annie123 · 1 July 2008 at 9:36PM

How could I forget BINDWEED! always puts on a good show at this time of year ready for the flowers next month onwards.

I have a bit coming in from next doors garden so I have put a cane in for it to grow up, rather than my shrubs and at the end of the month I will spay it with a systemic weedkiller.
Works best if you have a good amount of leaf to cover to get the poison back to the roots.
This is the only bit of non organic gardening I do. Took years to get rid of it so not letting it back in!!

kazwookie · 2 July 2008 at 12:24PM

Thanks Annie

1. Pond de weeded the blanket weed last night

but I just so know it will be back.
2. The pond was pumped out by 1/3 and then re filled, the fish loved it and were racing round. Also found a frog! did have 14 of them but they legged it :rotfl:
3. Last week planted winter pansy seeds into 2 tray watered and put in shade
4. Sat in garden at about 10pm last night and watched a bat flying round.

(no wine)

arkonite_babe · 2 July 2008 at 3:42PM

Thanks Annie, as always, I've added this to the useful links sticky for future reference

The Garden Year

annie123 · 6 July 2008 at 9:08AM

kazwookie wrote: »

3. Last week planted winter pansy seeds into 2 tray watered and put in shade
4. Sat in garden at about 10pm last night and watched a bat flying round.

Thanks for the pansy reminder, I sowed some yesterday and some forget me nots (found packet on shed floor half nibbled, mice

)

Wish I had bats near me, I go to a nearby park in the evening to see them as they fly over the large pond.

Went to turn the compost heap and couldn't do, such a large ants nest in there it seemed a shame to disturb them!

I lost a clematis last to to wilt, and I have just noticed that the old root has put up a new shoot only 6" tall but hopefully it be OK for next year.

Must find time today to get there again, its so nice to get a whole weekend off work for a change I could spend all day out side.

Happy gardening

2cats1kid · 6 July 2008 at 9:37AM

First year of growing anything other than herbs, so a soft fruit Q for you all. It says in the list above to prune currants after fruiting, cut back etc. I have a blackcurrant that I was going to pot grow, but it was struggling in a pot so it has recently gone into the flower bed and (so far) is happy there. Do I cut it back or leave it? Instinct says to leave it alone as it's had enough disturbance this year (won't fruit till at least next year, I guess), but instinct isn't always right. Any advice gratefully received.

notenoughcash · 6 July 2008 at 10:17AM

We had a lovely first crop from our garden this week. Some potatoes were ready, plenty of peas and an onion, thrown together with a bit of minced beef from the freezer for a cottage pie. Also loads of rhubarb so rhubarb crumble and custard for pudding!

The garden is full of colour, sweet peas, impatiens, violas, lupins, it's beautiful!

july gardening jobs in our gardens for oldies and newbies,

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