If you’re an old hand, you know there’s no calling it a day in the garden, just because it’s mid-winter. Here are some quick reminders of top to-dos for July. See anything you haven’t gotten around to yet? No worries, just call and have your friendly neighbourhood Top Cut gardener take care of it!
Take Up the Shears!
This is the best time of year for giving your garden a good haircut. Don’t be afraid to prune hardback – it encourages spring growth! Allow for plenty of air and sunshine to get to the centre of the plant. Be careful you don’t prune winter flowering varieties, though, you’d be cutting off the budding ends! But a good round of pruning now will produce spectacular springtime results in all those dormant, deciduous fruit trees, and of course, in your rose garden!
Rose Pruning Tip: Go ahead and prune all spindly stems, but leave the tender, green and pink ‘water shoots’ alone – they’re crucial for nourishing the plant!
Bare Root Roses and Fruit Trees
If you’d like to get in some lovely roses and fruit trees, consider ‘bare root’ stock. While not exactly cheap as chips, the bare rooters certainly beat potted plant prices! Follow these planting pointers, and she’ll come right:-
- Give the roots a good, long soak before planting, say, overnight in a light seaweed tea.
- Dig a hole that’s a good bit wider than the roots, so there’s no squeeze.
- Make a little mound at the bottom of the hole for the base of the plant to rest on.
Winter Wonders
Who says gardens look dull and dreary in July? Beauties like Christmas rose (Helleborus niger), paper daisy (Xerochrysum viscosum), ‘winterglut’ (Bergenia cordifolia), and fragrant delights like sweet luculia (Luculia gratissima) or wintersweet (Chimonanthus praecox), can make your garden a real winter wonderland!
Don't forget, we at Top Cut are always here to assist with your gardening needs