Gardening: Why you need to be thinking ahead this summer

In the garden

July in South Devon is a heady blend of colour, scent, and summer energy. The garden is giving its all – but that doesn’t mean the work is over. 

In fact, now is the time to be on your toes: nurturing, deadheading, and encouraging a second wave of blooms where you can.

Starting with the roses, many will have finished their first flush. To keep them going into August and beyond, regular deadheading is vital. 

Snip just above a five-leaflet leaf and feed with a high-potash fertiliser – tomato feed does nicely. Climbers like Rosa ‘New Dawn’or ‘Madame Alfred Carrière’ may need gentle tying in to prevent wind-rock and to train new growth going where you need it. 

The herbaceous border is in full swing. Delphiniums, daylilies (Hemerocallis), and rudbeckias are loving the warmth. 

Stake any that are getting floppy, and don’t be afraid to chop back any dog eared and dried hardy geraniums – they'll often reward you with fresh growth and a second show. Keep an eye on mildew – powdery white patches on the likes of phlox and monarda – and treat with an organic sulphur spray if needed.

As ever, indulge in a bit of future proofing. Biennials such as foxgloves, wallflowers, and sweet Williams can be sown now for next year’s early colour. Choose a shady, sheltered spot or sow in trays and prick out later. 

In pots and containers, summer bedding like petunias, calibrachoa, and verbena may be starting to flag without attention. Deadhead every few days, water daily if hot, and feed weekly. If you’ve got gaps, try adding something unusual like Cuphea(cigar plant) or Salvia ‘Amistad’ – long-lasting and a magnet for bees.

Finally, keep bird baths topped up and enjoy the hum of midsummer in full flow whilst watching a procession of bathing sparrows. The garden, after all, is as much for the soul as the secateurs. 

On the plot 

The veg patch is striding confidently into high summer now, seeing the fruits of spring’s labour ripening under the sun. But don’t let your guard down; July is a make-or-break month for many crops.

Top of the list this week is watering. Everything is thirsty – from runner beans to lettuces and even ginger. 

Mulching around thirsty crops like courgettes and tomatoes helps retain moisture and keeps weeds down too. 

If you’ve got comfrey or nettle tea brewing, use it now – especially on fruiting crops like tomatoes, cucumbers, and aubergines as soon as the tiny fruits start to appear.

Cut French and runner beans as soon as they mature to keep them coming back. In a way this mimics them being nibbled by deer in the wild. The more you pick, the more they give. Keep an eye out for aphids, especially on soft new growth – a good squirt with the hose or a spray of soapy water should do the trick.

You can still sow now for a later harvest. Try beetroot, spring onions, kohlrabi, pak choi, and dwarf French beans. 

Leafy greens like perpetual spinach and Swiss chard can be direct sown – they’ll keep going well into autumn if looked after. And don’t forget fennel – a deliciously underrated crop that loves the warmth of July.

Brassicas for winter – kale, purple sprouting broccoli, and savoy cabbage – should be in the ground now if they’re not already. Net them against pigeons and cabbage white butterflies, and firm them in well to prevent wind rock.

Fruit-wise, soft fruit is in full swing. Keep picking raspberries, blackcurrants, and gooseberries before the birds beat you to it. 

A simple netting structure using canes and mesh works wonders. After fruiting, prune back summer raspberries to the ground and tie in the new canes.

July’s bounty is here, but it’s also about looking ahead. Sow, feed, water – and keep one eye on what’s next. The veg patch, much like life, rewards those who plan a few steps ahead.