July in the Garden

The beginning of July

The early summer has been hot and dry, we have now passed the summer solstice, the days are long and very warm. We have been working to keep on top of the rapid growth at this time of year and plan to continue weeding, shearing, pruning and generally tidying your gardens into July for you to get as much enjoyment out of them as possible.

I have been continuing with my diploma in Garden Design; this month I explored how plant growth on a site can help to determine the soil type and conditions. Looking at plant life to decipher the growing conditions is a beneficial way to help choose future planting schemes that would thrive in the same spot. I also looked into ways to develop and improve a site overtime, namely adding organic matter and mulch. Which is something I would advocate for all gardens, especially using compost made from household and garden waste and leaf mould, as it means the garden care can take place in a closed loop system.

Another project was to choose and explore how to successfully grow a chosen fruit crop. I chose the blueberry, as one of my favourite fruits, I wanted to learn more about how it grows and what varieties are popular to grow in the UK. I concluded that having three varieties, ‘Duke’, ‘Blue Crop’ and ‘Aurora’ planted in ericaceous filled pots would provide successional interest in flowers, blueberries throughout the summer months and lovely Autumn colour too. Planting in a row would also make it easier to cover with netting when the birds threaten to steal the fruit.

We planted out a new garden in Mayfield in early June, which is the new home of a lovely couple who have lived abroad for many years. The garden is enclosed and has been left unloved, giving way to competitive grasses and conifers. They clients sought an English, cottage style garden. We cut back some of the perennial grasses and exotic plants in favour of a planting scheme that included classic shrub roses, geraniums, penstemons and a couple of buttery cream rhododendrons. We also planted a White Cherry Blossom and a pale Lilac to extend the seasonal interest and introduce more floral interest to a garden previously lacking in it. We are so looking forward to seeing how the new plants fill out and settle into their new garden.

At home in our small garden, our rambling rose has spiralled its way along our back fence and up into our elder tree, creating a striking floral display that reaches across almost half of the garden and up into the sky. The white petals glow in the evening after dark and they capture the evening light as the sun sets.

Ru sprinkled some poppy seeds in early spring which have taken hold, they are so fleeting, the delicate petals drop with the slightest breeze and only last a day but recently we have had a single new poppy flower a day. The lilies who were flowering alongside our peach shrub rose, have now disappeared but I luckily found some time to capture them on paper before the petals dropped. The garden has so much to look at in late June and early July. There are lots of layers, leaves and flowers to pick out and spot amongst the green growth. It is lovely to sit and eat outside, spending time amongst the plants and the animals that also enjoy them; we really hope you are enjoying your gardens this summer and finding time to be in them as much as you can.

We look forward to seeing you in your gardens this July,

Liza and the team at Mackintosh Martin Gardening

Blueberry plants ‘Duke’, ‘Blue Crop’ and ‘Aurora’ planted in succession