It is still summer!
The weather is finally looking a little brighter, so this week’s blog is a catch up on some of the jobs I’m getting on with in my garden.
It is still Summer – honestly!
I must admit, the garden did look a little Autumnal last week and whilst I love leaving dried alliums in the border, now is the time that I find they are ready to come out. I leave them in until they come away naturally when gently pulled. This allows enough time for all of the goodness to return from the bulb to the soil. I always keep hold of the remainder of the plant as I love using them for Christmas decorations (sorry for using the ‘C’ word!).
Picking, supporting, deadheading and giving everything a bit of a haircut
- I will definitely be reaping the benefits from my cut flower garden this week. Don’t forget, the more you pick your cut flowers, the more blooms you will get.
- I’ve had a lot of rain over the last couple of weeks, so while my plants may not be short of water, it’s still vital to give everything a feed. I use a tomato feed once a week and find that most of plants and flowers respond well to it. It’s also key to keep deadheading. I try to go round my garden once a day, but twice a week is sufficient.
- Don’t forget to support your dahlias and any other tall blooms like lilies and gladioli with stakes to ensure their stems don’t break. I plant my dahlias with the stake and then just tie in as and when they get to a length where they need support.
- Your lavender will also most probably be due it’s haircut. Do this once it has finished flowering to stop it getting too woody.
- Start to plan for the Spring months
- It’s a good time to start to plan ahead. Look at your borders to see where your gaps are so you can start planning for next year. Alternatively, if you don’t have time to do this now, take a picture to review at a later date. I often forget what I have in my borders until the flowers appear. If you are ready to fill those gaps then now is a good time to order your spring bulbs. Sarah Raven and Peter Nyseen have some fabulous varieties. Any excuse to do a bit of shopping!
I hope you find my to do list for this week useful and here’s to enjoying our gardens and the sunshine again.
With love and stay safe, Flowers and Lifestyle by Margot –