July’s little and large show...
Macleaya sends up its plumes of pale amber inflorescences which stretch quite far above most border perennials. Height-wise, these can sometimes face competition from other lanky specimens such as Cardoons, Hollyhocks and the larger Delphiniums.
Much lower to the ground are some really zesty alpines which shimmer in the strong July sunshine. The highlight of these is one of the most popular of all cottage garden plants – Pinks (Dianthus).
In the kitchen, freshly-picked intensely-sweet blackcurrants are absolutely unbeatable. These are freely available from just one or two bushes, as are equally delicious redcurrants. Gooseberries, strawberries and early raspberries are also aplenty.
Philadelphus displays masses of huge white orange blossom style flowers on tall arching stems and, after blooming is complete, their petals make heavy confetti all over lawns, paths and borders.
It’s time to Phil you in...
PHILADELPHUS makes an ideal large shrub, which can easily be under-planted with almost anything. It is an extremely free-flowering plant, but it is imperative to leave the current season’s leaf and stem growth this time around in order to produce next year’s blooms.
This ultimately means that either the spent-flowering stems can be removed back to near ground level in August, or this can be delayed until the winter after the glorious yellow leaves have dropped.
This deciduous white-flowered shrub is freely available in many varieties which have a mature height range between 4ft and 25ft.
The dwarf varieties make fine container plants, especially near the house where their scent can be fully appreciated.
The larger types will thrive in any reasonably well-drained soil, preferably in full sun, but will perform well in dappled shade.
Pinky and perfect
FOR ALL their scent and their neat blooms displayed right throughout the summer, Alpine Pinks are pretty much a perfect rockery or edging plant for a fairly dry and sunny location.
These are available in a wide variety of different shades of pink – ranging from pale pastel peach to deep salmon-pink.
Their blooms usually have a ring in the centre, which is deeply or richly coloured – often in deep pink, red or purple.
White, and even cream-flowered, varieties are available, but these tend to be somewhat taller. This silvery-grey finely-leafed perennial makes a five-star pot plant for a hot patio or can even be planted into gravel.
Water way to treat the garden
You H2-owe it to your plants
As the long warm, and notably very dry summer intensifies further still, some of those plants are really crying out for water. Here are a few tips to help quench their thirst, as well as helping to conserve water reserves:
STRAWBERRIES are dead easy to grow, provided you can meet their basic requirements.
The best fruits come from plants which are well-established in a humous-rich soil in full sun.
Young plants can be set out in a prepared bed in autumn and will then need regular watering and weeding-around during spring and early summer to help flowering and initial fruiting.
At the time of ripe-fruiting, the plants will also produce runners, which should, ideally, be pinched out, to stop weakening of the parents, although the odd one can be used for the purpose of propogation.
Parent plants over the age of three years should be dug up and discarded to prevent viruses spreading. But, of course, the younger offspring will make perfectly good cropping plants.
The most important thing of all is to eat the delicious fruit as soon as it is picked, preferably within a second or two!
Three of a kind for your cottage garden:
SUMACH is a superb free-branching rather small tree that will eventually grow to around 20ft in height. This Japanese plant produces large finger-like bright-green, slightly hairy leaflets. The stems holding both leaves and leaflets are a delicate pink colour. In the autumn, both stems and leaves turn a vivid yellow, orange, red and purple.
LAVENDER is always a delight at this time of year with its aptly named ‘Lavender-blue’ feathery blooms on long thin springy stems. As well as epitomising summer, they also attract bees to pollenate them - important wildlife in any garden. There is nothing better than that scent of a Lavender hedge on a warm summer night to help you off to sleep.
DRUMSTICK Alliums rise above the smaller plants in your garden with their pom-pom purple heads bobbing in the sunlight. They look fantastic alongside bigger plants, such as Holyhocks and Lavenders and really do help put your garden, and the plants within it, in perspective. Like their larger counterparts, they are a must for every cottage garden.
‘Ave an Art
ARTICHOKES, as they are known as a ‘vegetable’ or ‘Cardoons’ as ornamentals are rather stately plants reaching around 5ft tall. They have grey, fairly tooth-edged leaves which are very attractive, topped by cyan-blue flowers (the botanical name is Cyanara). These flowers are preceded by the spiky globular edible buds.
A record-breaking July
JULY is expected to be another hot and very dry month - apart from a rogue thundery downpour. Temperatures will be up and down. The lower figures will probably still be warm and the higher figures will be close to breaking all-time records.
