Busy times

July can be a busy month in the garden and Genus HQ is no exception.  With a week in London exhibiting at the Hampton Court Flower Show we were already on the back foot on our return, but luckily the dearth of rain and hot sunny days meant that at least the lawns weren’t racing away.

The flower borders can always start to look a little tired and dusty in July once the enthusiastic growth of May and June has calmed down - earlier perennials finish flowering, a lot of climbers start to suffer from mildew, and any weaknesses in the staking regime are highlighted.  This week we waded into the borders cutting things like delphinium and oriental poppies to the ground.  Roses were deadheaded, concealed weeds removed, and pots fed and watered.

We’ve taken extra care with staking this year which means we have had no problems with tall plants flopping onto their neighbours.  Our hydrangea ‘Annabelle’, always a problem with her large top heavy flower heads, has remained firmly upright due to an early belt and braces approach to staking.