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Your July Garden: Top Tips & Advice

As we reach the middle of summer our minds are often turning to holidays, whether we are enjoying them in our own garden or travelling further afield.

July is a month to give plenty of tender loving care to your garden to keep it at its peak and making sure that it’s kept in good condition for your return if you’re going away.

Read our guide below to July gardening jobs to find out what to do this month and helpful gardening tips from our Hillier experts to keep your garden at its best.

What to Enjoy in your Garden in July

Gardening is as much about appreciating the current beauty as much as it is about planning and planting for the future. Enjoy these plants in your July garden and home:

Plants flowering in July

Climbers: summer-flowering Clematis varieties, Hydrangea petiolaris, Jasmine, Passiflora
Summer-flowering shrubs: Abelia, Abutilon, Calycanthus, Cotinus, Deutzia, Genista, Hibiscus, Hydrangea macrophylla, Hydrangea paniculata, Potentilla
Lavender varieties: Lavandula stoechas (French lavender) and Lavandula angustifolia (English lavender)
Perennials: Acanthus, Achillea, Astrantia, Campanula, Centaurea cyanus (cornflower), Delphinium, Dahlias, Dianthus, Echinacea, Gaura, Gazania, Geranium, Gerbera, Gypsophila, Helenium, Iris, Leucanthemum, Lily varieties, Marguerite, Marigolds, Nepeta, Ranunculus, Rudbeckia, Salvia, Scabiosa, stocks, sunflowers, sweet peas, Verbascum
Roses
Summer bedding plants
Alpines: Lithodora ‘Heavenly Blue’, Saxifrage, Phlox

Great for Foliage and Structure

Cordyline, cynara, fatsia, hostas, heucheras, phormium, physocarpus and sambucus
Ornamental grasses: miscanthus, stipa
Ferns: Athyrium, dryopteris, matteucia, osmunda, polystichum

Houseplants

Flowering now: Begonias, kalanchoe, orchids, roses
Great for foliage: Adiantum (and other ferns), alocasia, chlorophytum, cordyline, ficus, kentia, monstera, schefflera, cacti and succulents

What to Plant in July

Plants like crocosmia bring a welcome burst of colour at the back end of summer

While maintaining your garden is the priority in July, there are also a number of plants that can be added now for instant and future impact.

Planting for Instant Impact

Gardening is often about the patient process of growing from seed, bulb or small plant and nurturing it over time. If you want to balance this out with immediate colour, foliage and scale in your garden, you can always find larger plants or those in bloom right now for instant impact. Be sure to water newly planted gardens often, particularly in the warmer summer months.

Simply browse the ‘plants flowering now’ list above. Many of these plants will be available from the Garden Centre for immediate enjoyment and then once planted, should continue to develop year after year. Just remember to water them frequently while they establish, especially over the hot, dry summer months.

What to Plant for Future Interest

Early autumn – flowering perennials: Japanese anemone, aster, rudbeckia, sedum
Alpines – 1 litre plants allow for a cost-effective garden update
Later – flowering shrubs, such as hardy fuschia and Hydrangea paniculata varieties
There is still time to plant up hanging baskets for extra summer colour

What to Grow in July

Courgettes should be ready to harvest this month

In July in the vegetable garden, there are still a number of crops that can be sown along with a growing harvest to pick. This is the month to stay on top of your weeding, watering and feeding routine.

Sow Outdoors

Sow beetroot, brussels sprouts, carrots, chicory, leeks for winter, lettuce, radishes, spring cabbage, sprouting broccoli and turnips
This is the last month to sow and French beans

Hillier tip: These climbers will need support to grow up and a wigwam is a simple and attractive solution. Simply place three to four bamboo canes into the ground and tie together at the top. Sow the seeds around each cane at the base – you will only need a single seed at the base of each cane for climbing runner and French beans.

Harvest Now

Many herbs improve in growth the more they are used – so be sure to pick and flavour your cooking!

Hillier tip: If you are looking for new recipe ideas, browse our recipe collection from our Hillier Development Chef

Harvest broad beans, broccoli, carrots, celery, courgettes, cucumber, French beans, kale, mangetout, peas, potatoes (second earlies and salad), rocket and spinach

Hillier tip: See the planting and harvesting times for many of our most loved vegetable and salad plants in our Seed Sowing Calendar

Other Grow Your Own Activities

Be vigilant with weeding! Little and often is the key
Pests such as slugs and vine weevils may be problematic at this time of year. Make sure you have your desired pest control method in place

Hillier tip: Don’t forget to net any brassicas to stop Cabbage White butterflies laying eggs

Water – lower frequency and higher volume is best
Help deter pests in your vegetable plot by ‘companion planting’

Hillier tip: Planting marigolds in your vegetable patch can deter whitefly and also attract ladybirds, which will help to control aphids. They also emit a substance from the roots that deters nematode worms in the soil. Plant nasturtiums alongside your brassicas to attract cabbage white butterflies away from your precious greens. Plant pungent vegetables, such as onions, garlic or chives next to your carrots to deter carrot fly.

Add a little more support to any plants that are leaning
When your strawberry plants have finished, prune old foliage, weed and give the area a good mulch
Prune cherry or plum trees now. Remember pruning in the summer will stop growth, wait till the winter if you want to encourage it!

Gardening Jobs for July

As we enter the heart of summer there are enjoyable care and maintenance activities to do in the garden in July along with rest and appreciation.

Plants to Prune

Deadhead faded flowers from almost all of your garden plants to encourage a second flush

Hillier tip: As the first flush of flowers fade on herbaceous plants, cut the flower stems back and feed. This will encourage new flower growth to develop. Depending on how early or late they bloom in the year, this may include delphiniums (trim only), geraniums, lupins (deadhead), alchemilla and erysimum (light trim).

Deadhead roses frequently as the first flush fades to encourage repeat flowering

Hillier tip: When deadheading roses, cut down to the next outward facing bud and always cut shoots at a side angle. That ensures that water runs over the cut and down the stem

Plants to Feed

Feed roses with special rose feed with high potash as they grow. This will encourage a stronger, healthier flower. Mulch around them after feeding.

Hillier tip: High potash feeds are also ideal for tomatoes and fruit trees as they promote strong fruit production and increased sugar levels, meaning higher yields and sweeter fruit.

Applying a good feed regularly, particularly to containers and baskets, will help keep your garden in full bloom

Plants to Protect

When planting any herbaceous plants that have a tendency to grow floppy, add support as early as possible so they will grow up around it
Gently tie in any of the soft new growth from your climbing plants

Lawn care & Gardencare

Keep weeds at bay with a ‘little and often’ approach by spending a few minutes each week to remove weeds from lawns, borders and containers
Think about your watering routine. Containers in particular may want regular watering as warm weather and wind can quickly dry soil

Hillier tip: Always make sure you water at the base of the plant so it reaches the roots. When watering, let the water sink down into the soil then repeat two or three times until the water no longer goes down quickly. If you hoe around plants, water will penetrate where it’s needed instead of running off

Install a water butt if space allows to collect and recycle rainwater over the coming year
On warmer days, open greenhouse vents and doors to keep it cool and ventilated which prevents disease and fungus problems
Regularly mow your lawn. Cutting the grass too short will strip it of vital moisture and nutrients, so if possible keep your blade setting high
Apply a high-nitrogen lawn feed such as Aftercut Ultra Green to keep grass lush and thick

Looking After Birds and Wildlife in July

As the temperature rises the ground becomes harder, making it more difficult for birds to source worms. On hot days, birds need extra water to stay hydrated and maintain a cool body temperature.