Blue Daisy Blog

With the weather being as it has so far this year resulting in some major growth spurts going on in our gardens one of the biggest problems for gardeners is to make sure things don't get too much out of hand.  As ever deadheading is the order of the day for August and whilst watering might not be such a problem for the majority of your garden in 2012 it is still worth keeping an eye on everything especially containers and hanging baskets.  Some summer pruning is also on the cards to help keep things under control along with the usual August jobs:

The top priority for your August garden is usually just sitting back, relaxing and enjoying your garden but with this year's weather being as it has there's not much opportunity for sitting out in the sunshine just now.  Weather forecasts are for continued sunshine and showers throughout the month so plants are likely to continue to romp away and with the unusually damp conditions some pests and diseases are having an unexpected field day so do try to keep on top of them.

Traditionally, this is the holiday month so if you're planning to be away remember to arrange for a neighbour/friends/family to pop round to keep an eye on plants for you. You’ll need to ask them to pick the fruit and veg that has ripened on any edible plants or it will spoil what is left still growing. 

May and June have been awful weather-wise and long term forecasts for July remain the same - the European Monsoon continues and with it brings some slightly different jobs for your garden than usual at this time of year. 

The weather has resulted in some lush growth spurts this year so it's worth breaking out your pruning equipment in order to keep all that accelerated growth under control.  This is a great idea if you are growing fruit on cordons or espaliers.  Because fruit crops have been restricted by the weather it's likely trees will put out a lot more branches and leaves so do keep them under control in order to help direct goodness to the surviving fruits as well as to help give next year's crops a better chance.

July is most definitely the month of colour and even though things have been slow to get started this year, with our freaky weather, there is still much to enjoy in your garden.

While our gardens are majorly lush though they are also taking a bit of a battering with the hard driving rain that we've been having recently so when you do get the opportunity to get out there try to give those plants that need it some much needed support.  Fingers crossed that July will manage to deliver more sunshine than we've had to date although long term forecasts are predicting lots more rain to come.

There are always some things in the garden that you'd do differently, and your July garden is often a good time to spot those difficult patches. Make a note of the changes that you'd like to make and take photos to help your memory so that when you do come to make changes later in the season it'll be an easier job.

June is a prolific time in our gardens and while it's usually a great time to break out that well deserved drink to help us savour the warm, scented evenings there are also lots and lots of jobs to be getting on with this month. 

This year it's all about dodging the rain in order to get things done.  The weather has been dreadful but the list of things to do remains... and just in case you're not sure where to begin, here's a list to get you started.