HEDGES might be looking a bit shaggy by now, but before you get out the hedge trimmer, make sure there aren’t any birds still nesting in them.
By the end of the month most young birds should have fledged, so privet, yew, beech, hornbeam and laurel can all be trimmed right through to September/ October.
Laurel has large leaves so cutting them with shears or a hedge trimmer can slice them in half, creating an ugly ragged look. Tidy up with secateurs for a smarter effect.
LAWN CARE
IF your lawn is looking patchy and dry, boost it with a high-potassium summer feed such as tomato feed.
Apply it on a cool day, preferably just before rain.
ADD A BIT OF COLOUR!
BOOST autumn flower power by filling a pot with corms of acidanthera (Gladiolus Murielae, pictured below).
Plant now for tall, slender stems, strappy leaves and elegant white flowers with striking burgundy markings and a beautiful, soft fragrance come September/October.
CUT LAVENDER FOR DRYING
HARVESTING lavender for drying is a great way to keep shrubs neat and compact, while enjoying their beautifully scented flowers.
Cut the flowers just as they mature, when they’re at their most fragrant. The best time is late morning – after the dew has dried but before the sun draws out the essential oils.
Using scissors or snips cut at the base of a stem and tie eight to 10 stems into a bunch and hang, upside down in a cool, dry place.
Use in arrangements or strip off the buds and make little lavender bags to hang in wardrobes to ward off moths. Strawflowers and statice are also good for drying.
GIVE PERENNIALS THE HAMPTON HACK!
AS early-blooming perennials such as hardy geraniums and alchemilla go over, do the Hampton hack!
Cut back all stems almost to the ground, water well and in no time you will have fresh new leaves and flowers.
It’s called the Hampton hack because it coincides with the RHS Hampton Court Flower Show.
DEAL WITH LILY BEETLES
LILIES are now coming into bloom so, be vigilant, look out for lily beetles.
These scarlet menaces can eat through the plants’ leaves very quickly. Pick them off by hand but be careful, these crafty pests can sense your presence and quickly fall to the ground and as their under bellies are brown, they’re hard to spot.
Author: Jonny
Author of Gardening Life!