Garden tasks in July with Modeste Herwig - summer blooms, roses and holiday prep
In summer, the garden reaches its peak with vibrant flowering plants: delphiniums, bergamot, lavatera, lavender, lobelias, annuals, summer bulbs and many more. Now is the perfect time to prepare your garden for the holidays, prune where needed and feed your plants to make the most of your space. With the right care, your borders will reward you with even more blooms this summer.
Ready for departure
Before heading off on your summer holiday, you can take some extra measures to ensure your garden stays in good shape. Don't hesitate to cut back roses, perennials and annuals – even flowering perennials can be pruned now. With a bit of luck, they’ll bloom again just as you return.
Potted plants are more vulnerable to drought. Group them in a shady spot, and place hanging baskets on an upturned bucket or pot. Leave the watering can or hose ready for your neighbours, or install a (temporary) automatic watering system. Even houseplants can live outdoors during summer, so no one needs to go inside. Before you leave, give potted plants a good soak with some liquid feed to keep them going strong while you’re away.
Caring for roses 
If you look after your rose bushes during the summer, they’ll flower more abundantly and for longer. New buds often form just above the first group of five leaflets. Once a full cluster has faded, cut the stem back to that first five-leaflet leaf. After the first flush, apply a dose of rose fertiliser, gently work it into the soil and water well. This extra nourishment encourages the plant to produce a second wave of fragrant blooms.
Evening scents
Flowers pollinated by moths rarely smell during the day. But at dusk, their rich fragrances are released to attract night-flying visitors. These blooms are often pale in colour, making them more visible in the dark. Moth-pollinated flowers include: flowering tobacco (Nicotiana), sweet rocket (Hesperis), honeysuckle (Lonicera), evening primrose (Oenothera), phlox, soapwort (Saponaria), lilies (Lilium) and mignonette (Reseda). Plant them near your terrace to enjoy their captivating scents on warm summer nights.
TIP: Edible flowers
They’re pretty and decorative, but did you know many flowers are also tasty? Pansies have a sweet, floral flavour, nasturtiums are spicy, and rose petals taste just like they smell. Always make sure you know what you’re picking – not all flowers are edible. Try adding colour to a salad with calendula, borage (Borago), chamomile, pansies, rose petals, nasturtiums or phlox.
Flowering highlights in July
- African lily – Agapanthus
- Anise hyssop – Agastache
- False spirea – Astilbe
- Montbretia – Crocosmia
- Coneflower – Echinacea
- Hydrangea – Hydrangea
- Lavender – Lavandula
- Phlox – Phlox
- Black-eyed Susan – Rudbeckia
- Culver’s root – Veronicastrum
Garden jobs for July
Planting and sowing:
- Add summer flowering annuals to pots and borders, and make sure soil doesn’t dry out
- Fill gaps in the border with potted plants like dahlias
Pruning, trimming and staking:
- Tie in climbing plants
- Cut back lavender after flowering: remove faded spikes and 5 cm of green foliage
- Prune trees, including bleeders like maple and birch (July–mid-September)
- Cut back faded perennials to encourage second flowering
- Deadhead roses back to a five-leaflet leaf
- Provide extra support for tall or heavy perennials if needed
Feeding and mulching:
- Feed summer annuals regularly via watering can
- Feed roses with rose fertiliser after their first flush
- Feed dahlias every 4 weeks during flowering (NPK 12-10-18 granules)
Miscellaneous:
- Water in dry spells, especially new plantings
- Water potted plants generously
- Keep removing weeds
- Prepare the garden for your holiday: weed, prune, support and arrange watering (sprinklers or neighbours)
Text: Modeste Herwig.
