This is what we love – summer! Long summer days spent in the garden cannot be beat at the moment. In fact I’m having a hard time spending any amount of time indoors.
As always, let me know what you think. Is it useful? Does it inspire or bore?
July Update
(Click on any photo to make it bigger)
Indoor Cultivation
No further indoor cultivation this month. The salad leaves were moved outside and have been doing much better as a consequence.
Raised Beds
I harvested 12Ibs (4.5kgs) of onions at the weekend. They look fine and not effected from the problems the garlic had, which are currently drying out at the moment. The onions aren’t huge but there are a lot of em’! I’m pleased with that little lot this yr. I do need to store them properly, I have yet to learn the onion plat!
The harvest done in that bed it means I need to get it working again so I’ve planted four squash plants (as more of an experiment than anything), and in the other half of the bed I’ve sown autumn carrots, cabbage and some beetroot. Hopefully something from that little lot will germinate!
In the other beds I have my garden connect plants which are just growing like mad! We had about five good crops from from the strawberry bed and they are now starting to die down, I have bush beans growing in another bed (slightly behind the other bean plants as I never did managed to purchase runner beans) but they are growing well too.
Grow House (Plastic, walk in)
Chilli plants and tomato plants dominate this area at the moment. My toms are just setting their third trust so hoping to see some fruit setting soon. The chilli plants are also doing exceedingly well. They don’t look all that good with leaves being nibbled from one pest or another but there are decent amounts of pods forming.
Fence (Fruit espaliers)
Just when the apple espalier started to make a recovery from the dreadful black fly aphid clustering and deforming all new spring growth, now it’s been attacked by greenfly which although has been much easier to control than the black fly it’s still causing untold damage on new growth. The plum in comparrison is fine and is growing strong. The second set of lateral branches are now being set in place which will take a few months before they become horizontal against the wire. Again this year I’m finding one lateral branch is longer than the other. Not sure why, there is quite a size difference but last years shorter branch has made good length again this yr so I’m not unduly worried.
Patio (Wildlife plants, hop, and soft fruit)
So many raspberries to eat this year, it’s been fruit-tastic in this area! All the plants look so much stronger in their second year. I’m really pleased with them. The pot raised fruit – blueberries and black currants have also fruited well this yr without very little effort on my part.
The hop is still winding it’s way across the makeshift string support.
Other areas (Wildlife areas, lawn)
All flowering areas have brought many pollinators to the garden. This month it’s the turn of the aliums that are attracting the bees and hover-flies. I’m in plans to get the final part of the garden finished which will be the greenhouse and hopefully bird feeding/pond area creation.
Front Garden (Nut hedge, native hedging, raised beds and fruit)
Much growth in this area too.
The second early potatoes are ready for harvesting, and in the other bed the four squash plants are fast expanding over the bed.
I haven’t harvested as much rhubarb as I should but it’s certainly growing well.
The cherry in comparison still looks very sorry for itself from it’s own battles with black fly. I’ll give it a good feed again before the summer’s out to prepare it for winter.
The alliums growing out in the front garden have been covered with pollinators while the native hedge is shooting up.
My top three jobs to do in July
- Peg the strawberry runners to get new plants for next yr and clear away old crop
- Keep close eye on pests in humid weather
- Dig up potatoes and get bed planted with next set of potatoes.
Garden jobs to do around the garden in July
- Sow cabbage, spinach and carrots for winter
- Prune fruit trees
- Plant a nectar-rich border inc verbena, marigold and lavender
- Feed container plants
So, what will you be up to in the garden this month?
