July - the start of the harvest

There are many possibilities for harvesting flowers and vegetables between now and the autumn. Alstromeria, dahlias and delphiniums make wonderful cut flowers. Cutting now may even produce more stems later in the year, so you will not be losing too much colour in the border. As with houseplants, there’s something special with having fresh flowers around the house. Freshly picked, they will outlast shop-bought flowers – just make sure that the stems can draw up fresh water. Cut stems at an angle and change vase water every couple of days. Keep out of direct sunshine and they will last for many days. Look out for English flowers in florists and shops. Unlike most imported flowers, they are cut and on sale within a couple of days. Stocks, delphiniums and lillies should be available now.

Sunny days in July are ideal for drying flowers for displays in the home. Many flowers will be suitable for this, such as achillea, statice (limonium), helichrysum, lavender and other herbs. After cutting, hang upside down for a few weeks until the moisture is removed. Coloured statice and white “sea lavender” limonium were particularly popular in the 80s. Just like the sweet william crop, they are English-grown so relatively cheap to buy – and long lasting.

Vegetables should be plentiful now: harvest onions, shallots and potatoes, as well as salad crops. Let’s hope tomatoes are free from the scourge of blight this year. Although it is too late to start germinating most seeds for this season, fill in with small vegetable plants instead where you have some space. Many crops will keep producing until the end of September.

David Hogg

Buckland Nurseries