July’s garden is coming into its own, with hot temperatures which invite you outdoors along with plenty of blossoms to enjoy. Obviously, all that colour needs a little bit of care to continue looking great throughout the summer season. Removing spent flowers from roses, dahlias and lavenders is a significant step in maintaining these plants appearing sharp and ready to maintain the summertime show.
Watering is also key during hot, dry periods in the Pacific Northwest. Even though our springs and winters are wet, our summers are tender enough to call for supplemental watering of flowering perennials and vegetables. Choosing a fashionable hose is a good idea, because garden hoses are normally visible in the landscape, which means they become as much a part of the decor as tables and chairs. The last issue to look at performing in July is sowing seeds inside of fall greens and crops. By planning now, you can make sure a very long season of harvest and beauty even into winter.
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Remove spent flowers. As rose blossoms fade along with the petals turn brown, it’s important to deadhead, or cut off the old blossoms. When dead flowers are left on a rose, the plant uses up precious energy creating fruit, and in this case will be increased hips. This results in fewer blossoms and an early dormant period.
By pruning off these blooms that are old, you direct the increased to continue blooming throughout the summer. Only cut off the spent flower or flower cluster right above a leaf with five leaflets. It is best to choose an outward-facing leaf, because the rose will develop a new shoot from the twisted marijuana hidden at the bottom of the foliage.
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Deadhead dahlias as every blossom finishes. Dahlias are one of the most profusely flowering plants in the garden, but so as to keep them moving for a very long season, it’s critical to remove spent flowers regularly. Just like with roses, by simply taking off the old blossoms you send a signal to the plant which the season is not yet over.
To deadhead, simply cut each spent blossom back to the main stem. When all of the flowers on a stem have finished, cut the stem back to some leaves so the dahlia will continue putting out fresh, new growth.
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Shear lavender after bloom to encourage a bushy habit. Lavender can be a short-lived tree from the garden, because it has a propensity to become woody on the inside and break. Because lavender doesn’t come back from hard regenerative pruning, the perfect way to keep your lavender plants appearing full and bushy would be to shear them immediately after bloom.
While you never want to cut into bare timber, by shearing off the spent flowers and about a loaf of foliage, you encourage the plant to sprout new, more streamlined shoots. Shearing also retains the plant evenly shaped.
To shear, utilize handheld hedging shears and gently clip all the spent blossoms back to the fluffy mound of foliage under. Again, don’t prune more than 1/2 to 1 inch of leaves off, as the lavender won’t come back from shearing to bare timber.
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Dramm Garden Hoses in Bright Colors – $69.99
Keep up with your watering. While based trees, shrubs and ornamental grasses require little supplemental water to do nicely, many flowering perennials and vegetables require regular watering to continue performing their best all summer. The Dramm hoses shown come in a variety of designer colors and will look stylish even when not in use.
It is best to water in the morning, once the crops are already wet with dew, because watering in the day is more likely to induce fungal infections to spread. When in doubt, water deeply but less often, as this promotes a deep root system on your plants.
For more trendy gardening gear, check out 20 Great Garden Gadgets.
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Start seeds inside for fall crops. Fall greens and veggies, such as cabbage, kale, spinach, lettuce and broccoli, can be started indoors under seed-starting lights or in a very bright window. Even in case you have a bright, warm space to begin your seeds, it’s best to utilize a seed-warming mat below your seedlings to keep them at a consistently warm temperature. Once the seeds have sprouted, make sure to turn them periodically so they don’t lean towards sunlight.
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