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Datura Brugsmansia
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Brugmansia (Datura)
A showy and dramatic plant for the greenhouse or conservatory, This plant is widely know as datura with his large trumped shaped flowers that will add a tropical look to any conservatory.
The best way to grow it is to give free root, but it will grow very large. Best way will be to give it a large pot and plant out on the patio, greenhouse or conservatory and then prune it back hard every winter. The new growth will soon appear and in no time it’s again in full growth. If grown in a pot they can be moved out in the summer when the risk of frost has passed. Meal bugs and white fly can cause problems.
July
Arrange scented plants in pots on terrace or patio
Consider a colourful border
Continue dead heading
Water and feed summer bedding
Look and check regularly container grown plants
Harvest onion and shallots
Prune summer fruit trees
Dry herbs and flowers for decorative use
Lift spring bulbs
Clean up strawberry beds
Midsummer and gardens are full of colours. This is the month in which to relax to enjoy the richness of the borders and the delicious scent of summer; Time for sitting in the shade for meals taken out of doors, for barbecues parties or absorbing the peace and stillness of the garden at the end of a busy day.
This is the month of red hot pokers of garden pinks and border phlox.
Penstemon; Grow this pretty plant behind pink flowering lavender, both enjoy good drainage.
Scented plants; Capture the perfumes of
Summer schemes; occasionally change is called for. The traditional border, with a mixture of trees and shrubs, annuals and perennials of mixed colours continue to excite interest and remains popular. Borders in which the principal colours are restricted to one, two or possibly three, have a special appeal; and underline a particular intent.
Experimenting with colour can be endless. White garden are firmly established in present day garden lore. Combining Blue and white together, in varying degrees, is to modify a familiar theme and by thoughtful arrangement of plants is to break new ground.
Shrubs and trees; scent remains a dominant force among the trees and shrubs in July, From wonderfully fragrant honeysuckles to aromatic lavenders and pineapple scented cystus, there is something for every garden large or small.
Containers; Pots and containers planted up in May are now satisfying all the past promise. Gathered together in groups, for easy watering, or placed around the garden, they add instant colour ore serve as focal points. Lilies in particular are made for pot cultivation. By growing them in containers they may be given the good drainage they demand, water during the growing season.
Drying herbs and flowers; gather herbs and flowers for drying during a warm period when they are moisture free. Cut stems clean arrange in thin bunches and hung upside down in an airy place at an even temperature to dry. Suitable plants include bergamots, chives, flax, lavender, oregano, and teasels. Later this bunches may be arranged to form interesting and attractive display indoors over the winter months.
The Kitchen garden; Onion and shallots should soon be ready to harvest. Before doing this bend the tops over to prevent seeding and to allow for maximum sunlight on the onions themselves. After lifting spread out under cover to dry completely before putting into store. Onion may either be stored in boxes or roping together. Which ever way, they should keep for several months. Other jobs include cleaning and tiding strawberry beds and summer pruning of fruit trees, where fruit appears to be overcrowded, thin accordingly. Continue sowings of crops like beetroot, summer lettuce, radish salad onion, spinach. These should mature before the first frost.
Late spring bulbs; spring bulbs, such as daffodils and tulips, will have now died down. These may be lifted if required, cleaned dried off and stored in a cool dry place for replanting in the autumns.
