Fantastic Lakes Gardener: Things to Do In July
It’s July, and the frenzy of gardening activity has slowed for Great Lakes anglers, however that is no time to conceal with air conditioning or rest in the hammock. There are still lots of tasks, good things to eat and things to see in the backyard.
Barbara Pintozzi
Water container gardens. Together with the greatest temperatures of the year coming, it’s more important than ever to keep containers well watered. On the hottest days, they may need to be watered more than once a day. Bear in mind, smaller containers and hanging baskets dry out quicker than big containers.
Barbara Pintozzi
Deadhead and deadleaf. Daylilies (Hemerocallis spp.) Want deadheading daily and should be deadleafed too to keep them looking fresh. To enjoy another season of Clematis blooms this fall, deadhead them fertilize Type II hybrids (early-blooming, large-flowered cultivars) after they finish blooming. Stop pinching asters (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae, S. novi-belgii and S. laeve) and Chrysanthemums around the Fourth of July. Pinching ensures a better-shaped plant with a longer blooming time, but if extended too late in the summer, the plants may not start blooming before a killing frost.
Manage backyard pests. In Great Lakes gardens,Japanese beetles usually make their appearance in July. Shake them into a bucket of soapy water in the daytime if they’re less apt to fly.
Gather and sow seeds. Collect seeds from spring-blooming plants to share in a seed market. Plant columbine (Aquilegia spp.) and foxglove (Digitalis spp.) seeds.
Barbara Pintozzi
Dry lavender. If you develop lavender (Lavandula spp.) , crop some just before the buds start, hang it upside down to dry, then use the dried buds at sachets or store them onto the stalks for use in a summertime.
Barbara Pintozzi
Harvest summertime edibles. Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and tomatoes ripen this month. Pick zucchini when the fruits are small and tender. Leave peppers to ripen to get a much better flavor.
Barbara Pintozzi
Eliminate blossom stalks from garlic before the buds start, and crop the bulbs when the foliage yellows, then hang them to dry.
Barbara Pintozzi
July blooms. Oriental and hybrid lilies odor the backyard with their strong cologne.
Barbara Pintozzi
Summer phlox (Phlox paniculata) adds its sweet odor alongside native coneflowers (Echinacea spp.) , Liatris and bee balm (Monarda spp.) . Native plants like these attract pollinators, such as tiger swallowtail butterflies.
Barbara Pintozzi
From the colour garden, hosta blooms attract bees and hummingbirds, while hydrangeas reach their stride and ligularia brightens dark corners.
Barbara Pintozzi
Perennial geraniums, such as Rozanne, can sprawl to cover any openings left by spring-blooming bulbs in sunny to partly shady borders.
Barbara Pintozzi
Take a walk for inspiration. Proceed a garden walk or visit your regional botanic garden or a prairie for July inspiration. Pay attention to growing conditions like those on your own backyard. Here, a street-side planting is full of rough, vibrant July blooms.
Barbara Pintozzi
And today you may hit the hammock or the couch, but bring a catalog or a laptop with you. July is the best time to purchase fall- and – spring-blooming bulbs. (Consider ordering some Colchicums for late summer and fall bloom.) Stay cool.
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