GREEN GARDENING IN JULY

It is the height of Summer, temperatures are rising, and plants are celebrating their own beauty in abundance of flowers, colours, and forms. As I wonder round the lanes, I love to note the wild edges creeping in, the tendrils of the brambles making a low grab for your ankles; the clouds of meadowsweet flopping under their own billowing flower heads; the spires of agrimony amongst the bobbing grass seed-heads. Chapple lane has some beautiful examples of how nature can look at its best untamed, something which is hard to recreate ourselves. The local Bovey Tracey Wildflower group are doing a great job of this, and all the hard work behind the scenes is now paying off with verges that reflect their efforts with huge benefits for our local wildlife as well as our own enjoyment.

In our own gardens, borders are fit to bursting with colour, and long Summer evenings give us all plenty of opportunity to sit and enjoy our outdoor space. For intensity of colour and perfume, roses and lavender are hard to beat right now, (a classic combination), and it is a perfect time to wander round the garden with a notebook to see what is working and what may need changing. I always keep a pair of secateurs handy to stay on top of dead-heading to encourage more flowers. Just cut back to a bud in a leaf axil lower down the stem. There are always exceptions, such as roses that produce attractive hips which are enjoyed by the birds in Autumn. Why not take some semi-ripe cuttings? – showy hydrangeas are easily propagated at this time of year. Just take a non-flowering shoot 10cm long just above a bud and remove lower leaves. Put in a shady corner, cover with a polythene bag and lightly water every few days. In about 4 weeks the cutting should have rooted, and you can pot up to plant out next Spring.

Keep an eye on any seed heads of early spring plants such as cowslips and primroses which will be ripening about now. Spread them out on paper and sort through them, discarding any that do not look perfectly formed. Let them dry thoroughly before storing them in labelled envelopes for sowing in Autumn or Spring. Growing from seed is a rewarding and eco-friendly way to raise plants and a quick way to reduce ‘plant miles’. Don’t be disheartened by failures, experiment and see what works best, do a bit of research on the plant and mimic how the seeds would germinate in the wild. The most important things are to use a fine compost to sow the seeds, and similarly a fine rose on a watering can to water.

In the productive garden, there is more cropping than planting to be done – most edibles taste better when younger. Harvest garlic and onions when the leaves begin to turn yellow and flop. Lift an early potato to see if ready to harvest. Stop tomato plants (pinch out the growing tip), when they reach 4 trusses so they can put all their energy in ripening the fruit they already have. Likewise with climbing beans, stop them when they reach the top of their supports and pick every couple of days. If strawberries have finished, drastically go over the whole plant with a pair of shears and remove any old straw, new fresh healthy foliage will soon emerge. Prune currant and gooseberry bushes – think, open ‘goblet’ shapes, remove any crossing branches, approx. 1/3 of old wood, this allows more air to circulate and lets more light to ripen fruits. You can still sow peas, beans, beetroot, lettuce and carrots till the end of this month,

Every day seems to be marked as an ‘International Day of Something’, but “World Nature Conservation day” on the 28^th July, seems especially important to us all. This day is to remind humankind about the importance of nature and the need to protect it. The day is marked globally to spread awareness about the best practices to protect our natural resources. Our gardens and the way we interact with them is an easy, attainable place to start. If you need any ideas or inspiration how to do this contact dartmoorgardens@hotmail.com or cebh@boveytracey.gov.uk, take advantage of FREE monthly garden visits or attend the next Climate Emergency Bovey Heathfield public meeting. You can browse previous monthly ideas at www.dartmoorgardens.org. Don’t miss the local Friends of Mill Marsh park event, tree trails, kids arts & crafts on July 24^th 2-4 in the park, a great opportunity to learn more about some of the amazing wildlife we have on our doorstep.