Where does the time go? This is the time of year that the garden is blooming, holidays are upon us and we’re still trying to juggle all the other everyday things in life. So what are the things to keep on top of in the garden to make the best use of what time you do have? For me the first one has to be mowing the lawn. It’s incredible how much better the garden looks if the lawn is neat and tidy, no matter what the flower beds may look like, the lawn will set them off much better if it’s nicely mown. That said, with this Spring and Summer being so dry, here in Buckinghamshire, then we’re grateful for any rain to bring some life back in to the lawn, as it’s beginning to look quite parched and dry. (It does come back, once the weather turns wet again) The second thing to keep on top of is dead heading your flowers. Once a flower has bloomed and begun to form seeds, it considers its job is done, so won’t produce any more flowers. As soon as you remove the spent flower head it thinks there’s more to do as there’s nothing available for the plant to reproduce itself and therefore will create more flowers to do so. We went away for a week and I removed every single flower on my sweet peas and it looked such a sad sight. When I returned from our week away, the plants were happily full of flowers again and are still flourishing now…. I love the opportunity to wander around the garden, secateurs in hand, snipping off spent flower heads. It’s a means of getting to know the garden and the plants within up close and personal (and no I don’t talk to them!) but I do like to see them to check for their heath and well being. The last things I’d suggest keeping on top of is weeding around any veggies you grow. Of all the things in the garden prioritising weeding in the veg patch is worthwhile. You only grow vegetables during the summer, so if they don’t get the best possible chance to thrive, then there’s no second chance. Weeds around your veggies will just compete for the food, water and goodness in the soil that your veggies won’t be able to access so by removing them all the good stuff is available for the veggies to use, rather than those pesky weeds. And finally, last but not least has to be watering your flower pots, hanging baskets and any other container you’re growing things in. A good dollop of water, i.e. not just a light sprinkle on top, every few days, is far more beneficial that a little every day.
So happy summer gardening folks, and I’m off to dead head my roses….
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Great recommendation Lucinda – thank you! And building on that there are two areas on our lawn that we let grow longer throughout the summer and in fact only mow it once a year. I love the movement of the longer grasses and seeds and the buttercups and other wild flowers it has. We just mow regularly around it to keep the edges tidy and it’s such a boon for our bees and other wildlife.