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This Month's Gardening Tasks.
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This Month's Gardening Tasks.
No more excuses. Find out what needs to be done this month to keep your garden neat and tidy.
Specific Gardening tasks.
Moriati's Compost Method.
Find out how to make the finest garden compost using the minimum of effort and money. This article remains pretty much in its original form as it appeared in 1998 apart from the gradual addition of photos. Moriati not only invented this method of composting, he is also responsible for the now common term 'Green Dalek'.
Making neat lawn edges.
Edges of the lawn can make or break the beauty of your garden. Learn how to make nice edges to your lawn in this step-by-step guide.
Sweeping leaves.
Don't you just love them. One minute they look lovely on the trees, next they are all over the garden. The only easy way to deal with this is to pay someone else to do it, but why do so many folks insist on making the task as hard as possible for themselves? Get clued up.
Caring for Wisteria.
Wisteria is one of those plants that when grown well is a classical show stopper, but in the wrong hands can stubbornly refuse to flower.
Caring for Hydrangea.
Hydrangea plants require complex pruning once a year if they are to be a real asset to the garden. Step-by-step guide with photos.
Coming shortly..
Tools of the Trade.
Caring for Lawns.
Caring for Hedges.
July tasks
Now July is here, hopefully the sunshine will also be with us for the rest of the summer. Gardening for the next three months should be a pleasure with very little hard work as we reap the benefits of the work done earlier in the year.
The biggest chore this month is watering the garden, especially if there are hosepipe restrictions. Any short wet spells may lull the unwary into forgetting that pots and containers can dry out even in the wettest times. Don't lose your lovely plants for the sake of a drop of water.
List of tasks.
Early in the season, if you have apple or pear trees growing in the lawn, you will have noticed quite a number of small fruit falling off the trees. This is known as the June drop and is perfectly normal.
The June drop starts towards the end of June, although usually goes unnoticed at first due to the small size of the fruit. This drop continues unabated throughout the season until every last one falls off, unless the gardener gets there first and borrows some.
Once autumn approaches, the amount of fruit falling from the trees can be appreciable and the weight and mess horrendous. If left to rot, your lawn will turn into a cider factory and become a magnet for many pests.
This fruit should be raked up at least once a week, preferably just before mowing the lawn. If left to lay where they fall, they become an attraction for flies and wasps, and can decay into a mess that will spoil the lawn and make walking in the area unpleasant.
July summary
Now it is time to really enjoy the garden as most of the hard work for the season is behind, and regular tasks tend to require less effort. The desire to get out and do something in the garden can be overpowering at times but it is just as important to spend a little time each day sitting out and enjoying the results of your labour.
Try not to defer tasks such as hedge cutting for too long as it is much easier to cut the soft green shoots. Watering must never be neglected as we need to keep all the plants in good shape for the next three months.