Wet And Windy Or Hot And Dry July

One thing we know for sure about 2022 is that the weather has been completely unpredictable. With scorching sunshine and reaching an incredible 30 degrees in the garden, followed by torrential downpours and localised flooding.
With this wild weather, it’s no wonder our gardens are all over the place! So what should we be doing this month? And what might have changed?

Trim, Trim, Trim

If you have hedges around your garden, you will certainly have noticed that they are growing like wildfire. You can trim them one week, blink and it’s overgrown once again. Sadly, there is nothing that can be done to stop this rapid growth, especially with the weather how it is right now. The best you can do is keep on top of it.
Fortnightly trims might seem excessive, however, it might be necessary if your hedge is growing fast this month. Alternatively, just bigger trims once a month. The biggest takeaway here is please do not leave them for the whole of summer.
It’s not just the hedges that will need a trim, it will also be your lawns. Grass this month will likely be experiencing some rapid growth. This means that you might need to use the lawnmower more often over the next couple of months.
Try not to mow the lawn while the sun is scorching as you might find yourself with a sunburnt lawn. Cooler days or early evening is the best time to get the lawn back to a healthy length.

Water In The Garden

There are a number of sources of water in the garden, and during those dry and hot periods, they need to be checked regularly.
If you have a bird bath, remember that the wildlife really needs this in the summer sun, so keep it topped up as much as you possibly can. The same applies if you have a water feature in the garden. There will always need to be adequate water to keep it flowing.
When you have a pond in your garden you might want to consider more than just a top-up. The sun can cause an increase in algae, which means that it needs some shade where possible during the height of the day. We have seen a number of effective homemade canopies that can cover the pond, even if just for periods throughout the day. Consider this for your pond and you could reduce the summer maintenance.

Cutting Back

It’s not just the greenery that needs to be cut back this month, consider deadheading all of your summer plants as soon as the flower dies. This will encourage new growth to appear, allowing you to get the most out of your summer borders and pots.
Now is the time to cut lavender to be used around the house. Choose newly opened flowers for the best fragrance, then hang them up in a cool, dark place and allow them to dry.

If you are looking for garden design in Abingdon, get in touch with the team here at Abingdon’s Complete Garden Services and we will be happy to discuss this with you. For regular garden maintenance, you can rely on us.