Water, feed, dead-head – and enjoy!

Many who were lucky enough to go away in May came back to a meadow of unmown grass and weedy borders – but also a mass of colour from early-flowering blossom and perennials. Now we are into the holiday months of summer, it’s best to avoid the inevitable jungle and disappointment of dying plants. Ideally, ask a friendly neighbour to pop in, water and harvest produce where necessary – a welcome payback for helping out! Dead-heading and picking blooms, as well as liquid feeding, will encourage more flowers to establish during the summer. Alternatively, move pots into shady areas and mulch with bark to retain moisture. Also protect from wind, as dry conditions are exacerbated by constant breezes as we saw in early June.

There are so many colour schemes possible for gardens at the height of summer. Maybe try the cooling shades of white and blue - agapanthus, phlox, campanula and veronica can mix with climbers such as solanum jasminoides album and clematis. For more fiery shades, think of crocosmia, tropical canna and geums, coupled with climbing campsis and lonicera. Soothing pastel shades are calmer, using pale penstemon, hollyhocks, lavender, perennial geraniums and creeping passionflower. Whether you garden is large or small, even just a few bedding plants will brighten up the greenest of areas.

Dry summers can mean a fight for survival for newly- planted shrubs and trees. Plan a watering schedule to help them thrive, and try to hold off on any turfing or lawn seeding projects until early autumn.

Scent should be at its best now, with nemesia, jasmine, lavender, honeysuckle, lilies and sweet peas in full flower. Not forgetting roses, of course, which by most accounts are heading for a bumper year of multiple blooms.

David Hogg

Buckland Nurseries