WITH NATIONAL TRUST LYME

Get to know your garden

“Think first about what your garden’s like,” says Stefan, Lyme’s Head Gardener. “Spend time getting to know your garden, what are your growing conditions? Which areas have sun and which have shade? Which are moist and which are dry? Then plant accordingly.” A true garden saying is to plant the ‘Right plant in the right place’ meaning you should work with what you’ve got. For example, if you have a hot, sunny garden plant succulents and silver-leaved plants such as lavender which have evolved to grow in those conditions. For shaded areas look at Hostas, Ferns and Primulas as well as spring bulbs which you can think about now, and order later for autumn planting. “Another good tip is to look at what you neighbours grow,” says Stefan, “If they are successfully growing Rhododendrons, chances are you will be able to as well.”

Water wisely

Give your plants a drink if they are starting to wilt but don’t just water the surface of the soil as this will cause shallow rooting. If you find the water is simply running off the surface, build a little wall of earth in a ring around the plant to hold back the water so that it soaks into the ground. Grass is very good at dealing with a lack of water; even if it turns brown it will be able to bounce back when the rains return later in the year.

‘It’s always best to water first thing in the morning or last thing at night to reduce wasting water through evaporation.’ says Stefan “and remember to water the soil, not the leaves!” plant. Either put the cutting in multi-purpose compost or a glass with some water and the cuttings will be rooted within two to three weeks and can be planted in a few months. “If you can, buy peat-free potting compost,” says Stefan, “we grow cuttings such as Penstemon ‘Rubicundus,’ which has featured in every scheme at Lyme since 1900.”

Time to tidy

It’s important to deadhead flowering plants to keep them healthy and blooming for as long as possible. At this time of year, it’s a good idea to trim your perennials so that they flower for longer and keep their strength and vigour.

Have you heard of the ‘Chelsea Chop’? This is a technique by which you roughly cut down a plant by about a third to encourage it to flower later and on shorter stems. Done strategically in the border it can help to extend the flowering period and reduce the need to stake. It is commonly done at the time of the Chelsea flower show (hence the name) however, up here in the north May is too early to do this. We prefer to chop in early July, at the time of the Hampton Court flower show. We call this the ‘Hampton Hack’

Don’t go digging

It can be tempting to get out in the garden when the sun is blazing. Avoid digging in hot, dry weather as it can destroy the structure of the soil, increase moisture loss and disturb plant roots. Take this as a sign to sit and enjoy your Summer garden on these days with a cool drink.

Take cuttings for next year

Take and raise cuttings from your favourite flowering plants during early summer, so you have a plentiful supply for next year. Use scissors to cut a fingers length from the outside of the

Habitat+