Remember to dead head continuously now throughout the summer. This diverts energy from producing seed into producing flowers.
Instigate good practices with water, such as using kitchen & bath water for watering the garden as long as it not too greasy.
- Set up water butts by downpipes or the guttering on the greenhouse.
- Plant out hardened off and sprouting dahlias, put supports around them ready for later.
- Cut back the old leaves of Helleborus and give them a general feed.
- Cut back spreading & trailing plants such as alyssum & aubrietia to encourage fresh growth and new flowers.
If you haven’t done it already it is time to design and plant up some nice containers for the summer. Use multipurpose compost and add moisture retentive gel and slow release fertiliser.
There is a huge selection of plants to choose from: geraniums, trailing & upright fuchsias, verbena, surfinias, pansies, and begonias, and don’t forget to use foliage plants to give a lovely looking container. Have a look around your local garden centre for ideas.
Happy gardening everyone!
Hazel Bateman says
Thanks for these tips, Mo! We acquired a water butt in April for just £10 via Eastleigh Council’s scheme and it is working out very well for us.