Finally. The sun is warm and summertime has arrived. Things are starting to happen in the garden after a LONG rainy season here (zone 7a). I try really hard not to complain about the rain, as it makes everything so green and lush around here, but this year, summer seems to have made a late appearance. I can’t completely blame the pitiful state of my garden on the late summer start, as I really dropped the ball this year on seedlings and such because I was so sick with baby number two.

So, my garden this year consists primarily of flowers and shrubbery in the front and a couple potted herbs on the patio. To keep the bare patches to a minimum, I let cosmos and cornflowers self-seed all-over and only included a few bulbs and bushes here and there. My biggest score this season were three beautiful rose bushes at a local nursery for $8 a pop. They are called “sweet intoxication” and although they weren’t the colours I would have preferred (they are a mauve like purple) the smell is incredible and I’m sure they’ll fit right in.

Looking for something to do in your own garden this month? Check out the list below to help you on your way.

July Gardening Jobs

1.Weeding:

a.Stay ahead of weeds

b.Deadhead flowers by removing spent blooms once they begin wilting

2.Prune:

a.Summer flowering shrubs as soon as the blooms fade.

b.Evergreens can use sprucing up now too.

3.Fertilize:

a.House plants every two weeks

b.Roses (such as rich compost mulch or a complete fertilizer)

4.Pest Control:

a.slugs, snails and aphids can be particularly pesky at this time.

b.don’t include meat in your compost pile unless you like racoons and rats hanging around (potentially bears and cougars too!)

5.Harvest vegetables daily for best growing (and eating!!) conditions.

7.Keep bird feeders and baths clean

8.Mind rainfall and take into consideration when watering.

9.Don’t over-cut grass. Three inches is the shortest you should go to protect it from summer heat.

10.Enjoy your garden. Sit out and bask in your labour of love. You have waited all year for the summer splendour of sweet smelling roses and impressive dahlia blooms, so drink it all in (and maybe a glass of merlot too!) and invite others to do the same.

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