Poinsettias are coming into bloom now, and while seems odd, this is their natural time to shine. In the southern hemisphere, they’re tricked into flowering at Christmas time so we can enjoy the seasonal colour. It's a good reason to celebrate Christmas in July!
Sharpen your secateurs and get to work on pruning plants that have finished flowering, like hydrangeas, buddlejas and salvias. Always remove dead and diseased wood and prune on an angle to allow water to run off.
Plant deciduous trees, shrubs, and climbers. Ensure you prepare the soil before planting by adding organic matter like compost and aged manures and forking in well.
Prune roses (except for spring-flowering climbers) by removing crossing, sick and spindly branches. Cut the
remaining branches back by two-thirds. Follow with a dose of seaweed solution and feed with when new
growth appears.
Use this time to fix or build on your garden. Take a walk and note down what repairs are required or what area would make for an arbour, pergola or compost bay.
Give spring-flowering bulbs like daffodils, jonquils, ranunculus, and anemones a feed with an organic fertiliser specific for flowering plants.
Protect frost-tender plants by shielding them at night with horticultural fleece or similar. Remember to remove coverings in the morning and hose off any frost before the sun hits.
Treat bindii in lawns using a selective bindii spray, suitable for your lawn type. It's important to treat or remove now, before they set seed.
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