Green Fingers in June/July
Down at Caves Folly Nursery in Colwall, Bridget is making the most of the long days with a long list of gardening jobs.
Summer is here, the garden is blooming and the barbeque is out! This is the time to enjoy being outside and take time to savour the colours, shapes and scents of the flowers. For vegetable growers the satisfaction of growing and eating your own produce is so rewarding after all that hard work.
There is always lots to do in the garden but try and spend some time looking at other gardens. Why not visit some National trust and NGS gardens and make a note of colour combinations and plant varieties that catch your eye.
Plan a new border for the autumn or just add some different plants to spice an old border up! Don’t forget to take some pictures to remind you.
Here’s some of the jobs you can be getting on with during June and July:
Regularly feed fruit, veg and flowers in grow bags or containers.
Mow lawns regularly, providing they are not suffering from drought.
Do not cut spring flowering meadows before July.
Salad potatoes may be ready for harvest.
Keep ripening strawberries off the ground with a straw mulch (or cardboard will do).
Regularly remove side-shoots on cordon tomatoes and tie plants to supports.
Plant tender veg outside such as tomato, cucumber, squash and melons.
Sow salads, herbs such as coriander in succession every two or three weeks. Only sow small amounts each time.
Regularly hoe and weed to keep weeds under control.
Sow biennials such as foxgloves and wallflowers to flower next year.
Enjoy the summer and make the most of these long evenings!
Bridget
Bridget runs Caves Folly Nursery on Evendine Lane in Colwall (WR13 6DX). They are open from 8th March until October, Thursdays to Saturdays from 10 - 5. You can contact them on 01684 540631 or visit their website:
www.cavesfolly.com