Colour your life in July

Breakfast in the garden, sharing a glass of wine on the patio, a barbecue for family and friends - it’s all possible at this time of year. It is almost a waste to go on holiday!

Maintenance during holidays

If you are going away, don’t forget to ask a good neighbour or friend to look after your pots and containers - they will need regular watering. The pond also needs to be topped up regularly: in warm weather the water evaporates quite quickly. This causes the water level to drop, and pond plants can end up dry.

The scent of the garden indoors

Don’t you just love that flowering lavender? You can continue to enjoy it once it has finished flowering!
Here’s how:

• Harvest the flowers and hang them up to dry in an airy, cool spot.
• Once dry you can distribute the lavender between a couple of cotton or linen bags and place them amongst clothing or under your pillow.
• You’ll be able to enjoy the delicious, restful lavender scent for days to come.

Tasty harvest

Have you sown herbs in your garden? If you harvest them now, you will be able add a little something extra to your meals. Pick sage and bay leaves and dry them. If you store them in an air-tight container or glass pot, they will remain useable for a long time.

July is also the perfect month for sowing plants such as pansies and forget-me-nots. Keep the seeds nice and damp for the best results.