This month, our formal bedding in the Italian Garden is a showstopper and something that everyone delights in… I’m often asked whether it’s too late to plant bedding in July, and my answer is always ‘It’s never too late!’
While we begin planting out the geometric shapes and colourful patterns in our beds in May, you can actually plant bedding through June and into July. And, if you think about it, from 1 July to 1 October is over 90 days, and that’s plenty of time to nurture and grow an impressive display of colour.
July’s planting rules
Time: The days are longer and the sun is hotter, so if you’re going to plant out in July, it’s best to do it in the evening and to water thoroughly morning and night for the duration.
Place: Bedding plants delight in the sunshine and don’t much enjoy dappled shade. Their natural bright disposition means annuals really do need sunlight.
Selection: Choosing the right plants for your beds is going to depend on the design you have in mind, ie the shape and size of the patch. If you want to create a three-dimensional ‘picture’, then go for shorter, compact varieties like begonia, geranium, cineraria (Silver Dust) and lobelia. If you are going for something ‘wilder’ and more free-form then you can add in height with cosmos or celosia (Cock’s Comb) with its feathery flowers – these two bedding stars are really good doers and last long into autumn.
Size: You don’t have to go ‘big’, you can make a statement with a well-planted tub or pot. Even just popping a selection of brightly coloured marigolds in a planter or basket outside your front door will make a statement in July!
Water: We always suggest water conservation and utilising all the tricks. Save as much of your household water as possible, whether that’s bath water, water collected in your rain butts, washing up water or the leftover tea in your teapot (!) and use it to water your bedding and pots – they’ll thank you for it and reward you with blooms.
Shadey choices
Not all of us enjoy south-facing gardens and most of us have some shade to deal with in the garden.
If you have a bed that’s situated in dappled shade, then it might be worth thinking about a perennial border rather than an annual display.
Dappled shade and full shade can be challenging at first but if you take inspiration from Pergola Walk at Hever, modelled on the 100 fountains garden at Villa d’Este in Tivoli, you’ll see how beautiful shade-loving plants can be!
My top shade-loving plants include ferns (so many different varieties from bright green to silver), hostas (with incredible markings, or pale grey/green single coloured leaves) and perennial geraniums for a little bit of colour.
If you’re going to plant ferns in July, ensure the space is sheltered and improve your soil with home-grown compost or peat-free compost. Mulch around the plants to ensure you keep the moisture in. Keep the trunk and crown well watered.
As with most things in life, it’s never too late, so grab your trowel and get outside! It’s easy and not too expensive to add some colour to your borders, your pots and even a shadey space this July.
And, if you have time, pop in to Hever Castle & Gardens for added inspiration. You’ll find cool greens on Pergola Walk and a blaze of colour in the Italian Garden, Faith’s Garden and in the Long Border on Two Sisters’ Lawn.
Find Neil’s other gardening columns here.
