Sweet summer scent brightens up the office

WE’RE enjoying the summer here at Luton Hoo Walled Garden. I have just picked today’s sweet peas and have been rewarded with a large bunch filling the gardeners’ office with scent. Chrysanthemums and dahlias also need cutting regularly for blooms to continue through the summer. Roses need some care here too: cut back the dead heads to another bud lower down the stem for more flowers. Make sure it’s outward facing so that the rose continues to grow in the right direction. Then, use a rose-specific fertiliser to encourage flowering.

Summer evenings are wonderful in the garden. Watering now or early morning is great because you avoid the close to instant evaporation of midday sunshine. Don’t forget hanging baskets and containers.

Bolted vegetables (those that start to flower) are not very tasty, so water regularly, and if initial harvesting of potatoes shows they’re rather small, water them weekly too. Salad crops, onions and garlic can be harvested now and if you are wondering what to do with vacated ground then beetroot, carrots and turnips can all be planted now. Keep an eye on outdoor cordon tomatoes and stop them (prune the top off) after 4 trusses as that’s all they can manage to ripen in British summers.

Summer fruiting raspberries are a little more complicated to prune than autumn ones, but do it methodically and you’ll have no problem. Cut to the ground the old, fruited canes once you’ve untied them from their wires. Then tie in the new canes about 10cm apart. You should have enough to choose the stronger and cut out the thin, whippy ones.

The evening of July 6th is a real treat, with classic cars returning to the Walled Garden. Later on in the month, 24th July, the garden is open for the National Garden Scheme.

Also to be found shortly on our website will be information on a summer gardening course for children during the school holidays.

If you have any gardening questions, or would like more information on our courses: call 01582 879089 or email [email protected].

Discover the Walled Garden’s website - www.lhwg.org.uk