Good Morning!
I thought I would start a Weekly post with little tips on things that you could be doing this week in your garden. Kind of like a Garden Checklist! We shall see how it goes for a few weeks and please feel free to give me any feedback, good or bad, so I can try to make it more helpful to you.
1. Cut Back Delphiniums - If your Delphiniums are going over after blooming for the past few weeks (e.g. withering up & falling over and flowers turning brown) then it is time to cut them back. Cut the flower stalk right down to the ground to help the plant reserve it's energy and you never know, you might be one of those lucky people who get a second flush of blooms later in the year!
If there are some flowering side shoots that are still looking good and you can't bear to put them in the compost bin then do what I do and pop them in a vase, you can then appreciate them for a little longer.
2. Deadhead Iris's - Iris blooms don't last very long so once they are finished the best thing to do is to cut them down. The petals turn brown which isn't the nicest thing to look at so just like above, cut the flower stalks down to the base.
3. Water Hanging Baskets & Pots - Now the weather is getting hotter it's essential not to let your baskets and pots dry out. Trust me it only takes forgetting to do it for a day or two and before you know it they're a dried out flattened mess! Check them every evening and give them a good soaking and if the weather is really hot check them on a morning too! If however you do forget simply dunk them in a water butt and leave to soak on the floor for a couple of hours to try and revive them.
4. Start Sowing Winter Bedding - I know it may feel like a long way off but now is the time to start sowing your Winter Bedding or ordering it before it sells out.
To start off with I have already ordered some Bellis - Pomponette & Trailing Viola's along with sowing some Wallflower - Aurora Seeds. To do this simply sow them in a seed tray, cover with a light sprinkling of compost and then place somewhere outside but not in direct sunlight to germinate.
5. Spray Roses - If you haven't done so already this time of year is when you should be spraying your Roses. I use 'Rose Clear' every 6 weeks which helps control diseases and aphids. Make sure you read the instructions before use, this is the only chemical I use in my garden, we can't all be perfect! lol
I hope you have found this Checklist helpful!
Thanks for stopping by,
HAPPY GROWING!
XXX
