In a season of fabulous sport, it is good to be distracted from the oppressive heat and the demands of keeping everything watered.
I’m sure I need not bore you with this but unfortunately, these weather extremes are likely to become the norm. So, when planning your garden, deciding what to buy at the garden centre of village fete, my advice would be to carefully consider the demands of your plants.
As a business, we are no longer buying certain trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants and tending towards robust hot climate plants that can withstand a hammering from the wet and frost too. These are heavy demands and fortunately there is a wonderful range of options opening up to us.
I will go into this in the autumn (the best planting season when the soil is still warm and the rains are due), but in the meantime there are the usual jobs to do in and around the garden:
• Use grey water for watering where you can, harvested from baths, sinks and showers. For hygiene purposes, use within 24 hours and not on edible crops as pathogens and bacterial growth may cause harm.
• The bird population will appreciate keeping the bird bath topped up but by keeping them clean, you prevent the spread of diseases such as bird pox.
• Water your containers and newly planted trees and shrubs: it is surprising how quickly they will dry out.
• Remove suckers sprouting from grafts on roses and grafted trees
• Deadhead roses and keep an eye out for signs of powdery mildew, blackspot or rust. Prevention is always better than cure so water, feed and pick off rust or blackspot affected leaves.
• Cut back Delphiniums and hardy Geraniums and other herbaceous plants with a similar habit after the first flush of flowers: this will encourage a second flowering period. Feed after cutting them back.
• Prune June-flowering shrubs such as Philadelphus and Weigela after flowering. Prune deciduous Magnolias if necessary.
• Prune Wisteria in cooler areas, waiting until next month in warmer counties to prevent the plant producing too much new growth after pruning. Cut back to 5 or 6 leaves.
• Fast-growing hedges such as Leyland cypress should be clipped as necessary throughout the growing season. Clip topiary to the desired shapes.
• Box plants and hedges have been increasingly susceptible to damage by moths/caterpillars in recent years. If you find any, pick them off or spray them but be aware that warm, wet weather can cause leaf drop due to box blight fungal infection.
• If your floral displays need perking up give them a weekly shot of high-potassium liquid fertiliser. Deadhead the flowers when they are over.
• Ponds are never maintenance-free! Thin out vigorous oxygenating plants leaving the prunings on the side of the pond to allow the aquatic creatures back into the water. Try to keep about 30% of the water clear of plants.
• Baby hedgehogs will be looking for sustenance this month: leaving the slugs for them to eat and ensuring ponds gently sloped access points will help.
Gardening habits are deep seated: there is comfort in routine. It is good to take our gardening spectacles off now and again and give them a rub. As it stands, we probably don’t have much option!
Oh - and in all this, do make sure you water yourself!