It’s a lovely time of year and it is worth taking the time to enjoy what you have done in your garden. Take a walk around each day and take in the beauty of flower borders and the way bushes and trees define your space. Pick and eat a few raspberries and blueberries as you walk along the rows – fruit always tastes best when it’s ripe and fresh-picked from the plant. Fill a basket with vegetables that are bursting with summer health and while you are at it make a note of any pests and any problems as well as jobs that need to be done. And then you should sit out and enjoy any obliging bit of sun. Write down what you need to do and when you might do it. Some jobs are urgent and others aren’t. The idea is to enjoy what you do and not to run yourself ragged with trying to fit in all jobs at once. The garden is a thing of joy – a place to pace yourself between jobs and relaxation as best you can.

Pick and enjoy some fresh raspberries

Grass growth

July is the month when everything grows twice as fast as you think it should. Grass is just one example of this and you may feel as if you need to mow lawns just a few days after you have done the job. Remember that you don’t have to keep all of your grass super short. Long grass stems look beautiful and some wildflowers in the mix will encourage lots of beneficial insects to your garden. I aim to leave some areas long; grass is cut in others where the clippings are used to mulch the vegetable garden. I prefer mowing to weeding and I like the look of the grass mulch between rows. A thin layer of clippings can be topped up each time you mow and the layers help to keep moisture in the ground, so you’ll have less watering to do in hot weather.

Aubergines

Some people have great success with these plants and others have little. This applies to many things that we grow, where plants may prefer the soil and climate in one garden over that of another. Aubergines grow best in the shelter of a polytunnel or greenhouse where climate can be modified to improve the chance of success. These are heat loving plants and it’s best to avoid soaking leaves with water. The exception to this is if there are small red spider like insects (red spider mite) on the plants – in which case hose with water. Keep soil damp and the plant dry if you want the pretty purple flowers to set fruits. Don’t plant too close and allow plenty of air to circulate to reduce pest and disease
problems. If plants are small, and slow to produce flowers, use a liquid tomato feed that is high in potash to boost any essential nutrients. Repeat the feed every 7-10 days when fruits are swelling. Peel away any petals that stick to small fruits – this can be an entry point for grey mould.

Early potatoes

If you planted these in March then they are ready to eat now. Lift a plant or two and you’ll be delighted at the crop. These early gems are delicious so don’t leave them in the ground too long. There will be plenty of larger potatoes to follow and all fresh dug ones taste good, but there’s nothing to beat the taste of early varieties cooked with a bit of mint in the water and some butter on top.

Carrots and beetroot

Plants need thinning out in the row if they are growing too close. Some thinnings will be big enough to use and they are a lovely early promise of the bigger crop to
come. Thin to 5-10cm between plants to allow space to grow big enough. And firm the soil back around plants if it is loosened by removing ones growing too close. Carrots really need to be covered with a very fine horticultural fleece, or mesh, in order to keep carrot fly away from plants. These pests are attracted by the scent of the foliage and thinning can send up a strong scent signal. Beetroot are pretty pest free and they usually grow steadily over the coming weeks. You can lift large beetroots in the autumn to store for the winter, but small, sweet, early balls are the tastiest ones.

Crocosmia

Plant a few bulbs of the variety ‘Lucifer’ in the spring or autumn and this plant will spread to form a large clump. The flaming red flowers, born on tall stems, make a big bold statement in any corner of the garden. You may need to support and tie ropes around large clumps so they don’t sprawl on the ground.

Crocosmia Lucifer is dramatic and easy to grow.