Plants&Gardens BEST OF BORDERS AND BEDS
July and August are great months for enjoying the fruits of your gardening labours. Summer planting should be at its best in borders and beds, the lawn’s first flush has hopefully calmed down, and early quick-return crops are ready to harvest and savour…
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“July is also fantastic for ow is an ideal time to get inspired by the creations of others. TOP TIP Sow pansies now Take days out to visit Royal Horticultural Society and National sowing seeds, as soil and air to allow them temperatures are high. Long, Trust gardens, or shows like the RHS Flower Show at Tatton Park. time to develop warm days with good Check out national collections if you’re away on holiday, before planting light levels speed up and at home keep a look-out for private gardens open out in autumn “July is germination. This under the National Garden Scheme. Local garden trails fantastic enables you to extend in support of local charities are a great source of tea and cake while you’re picking up ideas! for sowing your vegetable cropping and boost your stocks of Of course, there’s still plenty to do in your own seeds” perennials and biennials.” garden, mainly around keeping up the borders and lawn and maintaining the productivity of your veg plot. Pansies: think ahead Lis Morris, lecturer in Horticulture and Sustainable Technologies at Also on Lis’s to-do list are: University Centre Reaseheath, • Cut back early summer perennials such as hardy geraniums and in Cheshire, advises: “One of delphiniums after flowering, for a second flush the most important jobs for • Hoe and hand-weed borders, so weeds don’t have time to set seed July is regular dead-heading of • Pick sweet peas every few days; remove pods to prolong flowering bedding plants and perennials. • Give dahlias a liquid feed and stake up the shoots of tall varieties This keeps your plants looking • Plant autumn bulbs such as nerines, attractive and encourages more colchicums and sternbergia blooms, which is great for • Sow wallflowers for next spring insects too. Regular watering • Continue to sow quick-growing crops and feeding also lengthens the like salad, carrots and French beans. flowering season, for containers For more on Reaseheath’s horticulture Dead-head roses and apply feed and baskets in particular. courses see reaseheath.ac.uk
Remove pods
WHAT NOT TO GROW
Beware what you’re allowing to flourish on your patch. According to surveyors stokemont.com some plants and trees can actually reduce the value of your home Japanese knotweed
Giant hogweed
Similar to Japanese knotweed, giant hogweed is also invasive and can spread fast. More easily spotted in June and July, this cow-parsley-like plant has thick stems with purple spots and white umbrella-shaped flowers. Its sap is phototoxic and can cause severe skin burns, which makes it costly to have removed.
An invasive plant with bamboo-like red shoots and shovel-shaped leaves, Japanese knotweed can grow up to 3 metres tall in spring and summer. Even worse, its roots can reach 20 metres underground, disrupting pipework and drains and weakening paving or structural foundations.
Poplar, willow and oak trees
Ivy
Himalayan balsam
Common across Europe, English ivy is dangerous to your house. A strong climber, this garden invader could easily penetrate cracks in the walls, damaging the mortar and introducing damp or leaks. It can produce an unpleasant skin reaction too. 96 SHIRE MAGAZINE | July/August 2022
While most trees cause no harm, large trees like poplar, willow and oak can be dangerous if growing close to a property. Shallow root systems can spread out to 40 metres and take up 1,000 litres of water and nutrients from the soil. Seek expert advice! Himalayan balsam grows to 2-3 metres tall and has pink flowers in summer and early autumn. Despite its pretty colours, this invasive plant can spread seeds 800 metres away, killing other plants and reducing biodiversity by stealing light, nutrients and water.
