hiya bucks in Bourne End, Flackwell Heath, Marlow, Wycombe, Wooburn July 2016 | Page 26

JULY GARDENING

I sit here writing this on Sunday 12th June after doing a good couple of
hours work in my own garden. Things are really starting to grow now, as
the mixture of sun and rain over the last few weeks has made everything
flourish! The only problem is that weeds have also gone crazy so keeping
on top of them is a slight challenge. My lawn is also looking nice and lush; I
mow mine twice a week as it’s not really a big area to be honest, (some of my
client’s lawns take me approx 3 hours to mow and strim)!!
You really need to commit a lot of your
time during the summer months, as
your borders and beds will require
a lot of attention. Keep turning your
soil over which will look a lot better
for a start (especially in dry weather).
Early-summer- flowering shrubs can
be pruned this month to keep them
vigorous and flowering well. Deadhead

Border design

your summer bedding plants, keep beds well
watered (I know I am mentioning water again but
it’s essential) and keep an eye out for slugs and
snails!
I have been trimming a lot of Box hedges/balls
recently as they too grow very quickly during
late spring/early summer. I am not suggesting
I can create all kinds of wonderful animals like
peacocks, chickens and other various ‘topiary’
designs, but have the basic knowledge to give
them a good tidy making them look smart. I even
have a client who has a couple of snake designs
which I enjoy trimming!!! I must admit though, I
do find the ‘animal’ designs very interesting so I
may practise more on my own! This year has been
really bad with ‘Box Blight’ though, a number of
our clients have had it really bad, with the result
of loosing almost an entire hedge. All you can
really do is cut out the diseased parts and pray
(remembering to sterilize your tools afterwards).
Another problem we have recently come across
is the dreaded whitefly or aphids on perennial
plants such as Lupins. They really do need
keeping in check and treated with a suitable pest/
bug killer, as once out of hand, they can decimate
your poor plants in no time. The key is to get
them early!
Until next time, happy gardening!!!!

by Stuart McCann of
Gardening Angel
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