July casts a magic spell over gardens, so that no matter how neglected or sorry a bit of earth is, it’s sure now to be bursting with poppies and daisies and all kinds of colourful midsummer flowers. I love to see a surprise sunflower shoot up in the borders!
As the mad summer growth fills gardens to overflowing, many gardeners are selling off their overspill and it’s worth keeping an eye out for these bargains along the roadside. Many of these plants are cared for better than a garden centre can and are usually a fraction of the price too – on top of which you’ll be supporting local gardeners and finding plants that grow well locally.
You might even be thinking of selling some of your plants too – go for it! A lot of people worry that their plants might not be up to standard but you’re not going to get judged by strict criteria, if it looks like a happy healthy plant there will be a thankful gardener out there glad to take it off your hands!
It’s great to see such great gardening communities in Norfolk and they’re easy to find in the summer as they pool together at plant stalls at village fetes and volunteers are weeding away in the long evenings in community gardens like the Norwich Grapes Hill garden – there are so many keen gardeners out there happy to help and gardening is one of those subjects where you can never know it all so we can all learn something new, however long you’ve been gardening!
This month sees me celebrating five years in business as Helen the Gardener – and I’d like to thank all my lovely customers for all their support – and biscuits!
Have a fantastic summer, and happy gardening!
Jobs for July:
- Deadhead flowers as they finish flowering
- Remove suckers from roses by cutting them as far back as you can
- Keep pots and hanging baskets well watered, sometimes this might even mean twice a day!
- Take cuttings
- Collect seeds
- Remove caterpillars, red lily beetles and aphids (little green flies)
- Weed, weed, weed!