What to do in the garden in July

Summer is definitely underway now, flowers are in full bloom and the vegetable plot's are starting to kick out some yummy produce... So in between making lovely salads and enjoying your garden, here are some jobs for July to be thinking about in your garden:

1. Mulch, mulch, mulch... mulching really helps keep in moisture. Mulch plants like fruit plants, runner beans and moisture loving herbs.

2. Keep sowing seeds like salad leaves to maintain you supplies. Remember to thin out the seedlings too!

3. Dead head any flowering plants and also give them a feed. Remember though to leave some to you can collect the seed.

4. Harvest herbs like Lemon Balm, Hyssop, Tarragon, Thyme, Lavender Marjoram, to eat or to dry. You can also cut flowers for drying, such as lavender and corn flowers. Click on this link to see how to dry herbs and flowers. Gather seeds from Caraway and Angelica.

5. Cut back Lavender once it has flowered to keep the plant in good shape.

6. Gather rose petals for drying.

7. Sow late carrots, but be aware of carrot fly when you are thinning the seedlings out, I plant cloves of garlic between the rows, I don't know if this is any old wives tale but it has always worked for me.

8. Gather peas and start to clear the ground.

9. Start to think about the Autumn and Winter vegetable garden, maybe plant things like Radicchio, Pak Choi, Mizuna, Endive.

10. Keep feeding those tomatoes! Giving them constant attention by tying them up or adding any more canes to support them.

11. Keep your runners from your strawberry plants to make new plants for next year or cut them off if you don't.

12. If you have not already done so; plant out brassicas like leeks for winter supply... reminds me I have lots of leek recipes to share with you.

13. Keep mowing your lawn turf once a week, if you can wash your car on the lawn, a great tip to re-use the water that runs off your car whilst washing. A good soaking once or twice is much better for your lawn than light watering frequently.

14. If weeds or moss have survived the Spring Weed Treatment then apply a spot weed killer.

15. And finally, Enjoy your garden... when did you last sit and admire your hard work.