Fruit & vegetable garden
Flower garden
Glasshouse, conservatory and houseplants
Trees, shrubs, roses, climbers and hedges
Lawns and meadows
Ponds
Wildlife gardening
Garden structures
Gardening for children
Top 10 jobs
1. Check clematis for signs of clematis wilt
2. Place conservatory plants outside now that it is warm
3. Water tubs and new plants if dry, but be water-wise
4. Deadhead bedding plants and repeat-flowering perennials, to ensure continuous flowering
5. Pick courgettes before they become marrows
6. Treat apple scab
7. Clear algae, blanket weeds and debris from ponds, and keep them topped up
8. Order catalogues for next year’s spring-flowering bulbs
9. Give the lawn a quick-acting summer feed, especially if a spring feed was not done
10. Give woodwork a lick of paint or preserver, while the weather is dry
July's weather
Glossary of terms
Deadheading
pH
Pricking out
Restricted fruits
Fruit and vegetable garden
Fruit
Later in the month summer pruning of restricted fruits (e.g. cordons, espaliers, fans) can begin. In northern regions delay until August. Cherries and plums can be summer pruned after cropping.
Thin apples after the June drop if still overcrowded. Remove blemished and 'king' (i.e. central) fruits from the clusters first. Branches still heavily laden after thinning can be supported with a V-shaped stake.
Cut back sideshoots on gooseberries to four or five leaves, or just beyond the fruit clusters. This will speed ripening (by increasing sun on the fruits), encourage fruit bud formation for next year, and control aphids on the new growth. Red and white currants may be pruned in the same way.
Sideshoots that form on pinched-out grape laterals can be stopped at one leaf. Leaves that are shading grape bunches can be removed, to speed ripening of the clusters. Harvest indoor grapes when the skin becomes translucent.
When summer-fruiting raspberries have finished cropping promptly cut out the old canes.
Fruit picking can begin in earnest, with strawberries, cherries, summer-fruiting raspberries, currants and the earliest of the plums. Remember to harvest red, and white, currants in bunches, still on the stalk - they will keep and taste better. Blackcurrants can be picked singly or in clusters, as preferred.
Continue to tie in and train new blackberry canes. Keep new canes separate from older, fruiting canes to ease later pruning.
Continue to peg down strawberry runners if new plants are needed. This will encourage the plantlets to root.
If possible, water tree, bush and cane fruit thoroughly once every seven to 10 days during dry spells. Mulching will help them retain water. Keep large-fruited apples, such as 'Bramley's Seedling' particularly well watered to help avoid problems with bitter pit.
Remember to water plants regularly, to ensure healthy development of fruits.
Protect ripening peach, nectarine, and apricot fruits from the birds; trained trees can be covered with nets fairly easily.
Propagate blackberries and other cane fruits with long, lax stems by tip layering.
Thinking of growing blueberries? If so, check your soil pH is sufficiently acidic - blueberries need a pH of 5.5-5 to prosper. Otherwise grow in containers of ericaceous compost. Protect them from birds.
Pest & disease watch
Apple and pear scab is very prevalent, showing up as large blackish spots on both the leaves and fruit.
Bright orange spots on the upper surface of pear leaves can indicate a problem with pear rust. This disease can also affect and be carried by juniper bushes.
Look out for codling moth caterpillar damage, which is evident as a single brown hole piercing the skin of apples.
Woolly aphids may be visible on apple and pear trees as a white, fluffy coating. It is best to treat them early, as they will only become more prevalent as the summer progresses.
Treat American gooseberry mildew, and watch out for gooseberry sawfly damage.
Raised red blisters on the leaves of currants indicate an infestation of currant blister aphid.
Coarse leaves, slightly enlarged buds, and reduced yield on blackcurrant bushes can be a sign of big bud mite or reversion virus. Unfortunately, the only cure is to dig them up and burn them.
Remove mouldy or damaged strawberry fruits and leaves, to prevent the spread of the fluffy grey mould, Botrytis.
Keep an eye on strawberry plants’ performance, as yield declines after about three years. You may need to prepare a new bed, and order catalogues to select new plants for September planting.
Vegetables
There's lots to harvest in the vegetable patch, including spinach, peas, beets, carrots, salads, potatoes and globe artichokes; shallots and spring-planted garlic may be ready as well.
Pick courgettes before they become marrows.
Overwintered onions can be lifted and used.
Plant out leeks and brassicas for a winter supply, if not yet done.
Sow spring cabbage, turnips, Oriental vegetables, chicory, fennel, and autumn/winter salads such as lamb’s lettuce.
Carrots can still be sown, but beware carrot fly when thinning existing seedlings
Last chance to sow French and runner beans (south of England only).
Beans need sufficient watering to help the seed pods set.
Remember to pick your bean and pea pods as they mature, to stop them becoming tough and stringy later in the summer.
Climbing beans may need stopping, to maximise cropping on existing sideshoots. Stop them when they reach the tops of their supports.
Summer cauliflowers may need shading to prevent the curds scorching in bright sun.
Don't forget to stop cordon tomatoes by removing the main shoot. Look for the leaf that's above the fourth truss and cut it off here. This should ensure that all the fruits ripen by the end of the season. Bush tomatoes can be left to their own devices.
Climbing or cordon-grown vegetables may need checking to ensure they are tied in sufficiently to supports. Branches can easily snap off as the fruits mature. Leaves shading larger fruits can be removed to maximise sun exposure for ripening.
Any non self-blanching celery cultivars will need earthing up (with a protective collar of paper between the stems and the soil). Endive cultivars can be blanched by covering with an up-turned pot (with the drainage holes blocked off) filled with straw to exclude the light. Blanching makes these vegetables sweeter and tender.
Herbs can be harvested to keep the young shoots coming throughout the summer. Excess pickings can be dried for use throughout the year.
Ensure all vegetables get a regular, consistent supply of water, using rainwater or recycled grey water wherever possible . This will aid healthy development, and help to avoid diseases, disorders and bolting.
Continue to hoe off weeds in dry weather. Done in wet weather, the weeds are liable to re-root.
Pest & disease watch
Watch out for early leaf rots caused by potato blight and tomato blight.
Stunted potato plants should be lifted to check the roots for the tiny nodules of potato cyst eelworm.
Look out for asparagus beetle. Pick off the scarlet adult beetles and creamy-black larvae from the stems and foliage.
Keep an early eye out for the sunken brown patches of blossom end rot on tomatoes, especially if the weather has been dry. It can be a sign of irregular watering. Pale, haloed ‘ghost spots’ can be avoided by not splashing the fruits when watering tomatoes.
Flower garden
Cutting back plants in baskets followed by feeding can encourage new growth and help revive tired displays.
Cut back delphiniums and geraniums after the first flush of flowers to encourage a second flowering period. Feed after cutting them back.
Deadhead flower borders regularly to prolong flowering. Disbud and dead-head dahlias if growing for large blooms. Leave roses that produce attractive hips.
Divide clumps of bearded iris.
Autumn-flowering bulbs, such as autumn crocuses, Colchicum, Sternbergia, Amaryllis and Nerine, can be planted now.
Prop up tall perennials such as lupins, delphiniums and gladioli if staking was neglected earlier in the season.
Liquid feed containerised plants and keep well watered in dry spells.
Some late-flowering border perennials may benefit from a quick-acting feed before they come into bloom, especially if the soil is not very fertile.
Mulching borders can help retain moisture, and keep down the weeds - this will save a lot of work. A really thick layer of mulch (5-7.5cm/2-3in all over) works best.
Take cuttings of patio and container plants ready for next year.
Pinks and carnations that have become leggy, can be propagated by layering or by cuttings. Propagation can improve the appearance of untidy clumps.
Start collecting seed from plants you want to grow next year, especially annuals such as Calendula, poppy and love-in-a-mist. Perennials and biennials can also be grown from seed, but will take a year to bloom.
Some seeds are best planted just after collection, and others may need specific climatic conditions to break dormancy (e.g. some alpines). If unsure, then sow seeds in ‘batches’, i.e. one immediately after collecting, one in winter, and one in the following spring.
Plants with a carpet-like growth habit, e.g. some alpines, can become patchy, with central areas dying off. These patches can be in-filled with gritty compost, to encourage re-growth.
Cut flowers for indoors, using sharp scissors or secateurs and place into water straight away to prevent wilting. Wear gloves if cutting Euphorbia to avoid the irritant sap.
Most perennial weeds are best dealt with in the summer when the weeds are in active growth. Digging out often works, but applying a weedkiller can be more practical, particularly for large areas. Products containing glyphosate will kill the roots, as well as the top growth, However, glyphosate is non-selective and plants you want to keep should be protected, either by covering them, or by using a paint-on formulation.
Pest & disease watch
Inspect lilies for the scarlet lily beetle whose larvae can strip plants in days.
Vine weevils can be a problem at this time of year. Pot plants are particularly vulnerable.
Small holes and tears in new foliage of ornamentals such as Caryopteris, Fuchsia and Dahlia are most likely caused by capsid bug damage.
Watch out for aphids (greeenfly and blackfly) on stems and leaves of young shoots. These can be squashed in the fingers if caught early, avoiding the need for insecticides.
Sudden collapse of apparently healthy clematis, especially the large-flowered cultivars, could indicate clematis wilt. Cut stems to ground level and they may still recover, if they were planted deep enough to ensure healthy buds were buried below the soil surface.
In dry weather powdery mildew can play havoc with plants such as clematis, roses and Lonicera.
Look out for and treat black spot on roses and scab on Pyracantha.
Glasshouse, conservatory and houseplants
Many indoor plants benefit from being placed outside on the patio for the summer. Moving many plants out of the conservatory will save them from baking under glass, and lessen some pest and disease problems, such as red spider mite.
Ventilate and shade sunrooms and conservatories to prevent scorch damage to remaining plants.
Water houseplants freely when in growth, and feed as necessary (often weekly or fortnightly). Water plants in early morning or late evening to avoid the risk of leaf scorch on hot days.
Damp down greenhouses on hot days.
Cuttings can be taken and grown on in the glasshouse. Fuschias and pelargoniums are good candidates.
Carry on pricking out any seedlings sown earlier in the season, when they are large enough to handle. Other young plants, already pricked out, may be ready for transplanting to larger pots.
Pest & disease watch
Many conservatory and greenhouse pests will be active during the summer months. Check plants regularly for signs of glasshouse whitefly, leafhopper, glasshouse red spider mite, mealybugs and scale insects.
Yellow card sticky traps are a valuable, low-cost tool for monitoring numbers and types of flying pests in the greenhouse. If large numbers of a particular pest are found, treatment can be instigated.
Ensuring that greenhouse plants are kept in appropriate cultural conditions will help them resist attacks by pests and diseases.
Tidy up fallen leaves, flowers and compost - this will prevent potential pest and disease problems.
Trees, shrubs, roses, climbers and hedges
Prune deciduous magnolias if necessary.
Prune June-flowering shrubs such as Philadelphus and Weigela after flowering.
Fast-growing hedges such as Leyland cypress should be clipped as necessary throughout the growing season. They can get out of hand very quickly. New nuisance legislation has come into force regarding hedge heights. Contact Communities and Local Government on 0870 1226 236 to request the booklet explaining the legislation (£6.50, product code ISBN 1851127070), or download for free from the Communities and Local Government website.
Look out for tall, flowering stalks on established bamboos and remove them promptly. Flowering can weaken the plants, as well as being unsightly.
Ensure newly planted trees and shrubs do not dry out. They often need much more water than people imagine.
Take semi-ripe cuttings of shrubs such as Choisya, Hydrangea and Philadelphus. Root them in pots of gritty compost in a cold frame or even with a plastic bag tied over them.
Clematis can be propagated by taking internodal cuttings (i.e. taking stem sections above and below a leaf, rather than cutting the stem immediately below a leaf joint).
Air-layering is another method of propagation that can be used for some climbers, such as Akebia, and some shrubs, such as Magnolia.
Tie-in climbers and ramblers as they grow.
Remove rose suckers and tree suckers.
Pest & disease watch
Brown patches on conifers may indicate an earlier infestation by the cypress aphids. Telltale signs include black sooty mould along the stems and shed skin cases. Spraying earlier in the summer may have helped, but once damage is done, conifers can take a long time to recover. Where hedges are affected prune out brown shoots and tie in neighbouring branches to help fill the gaps.
Thickened and curled margins on bay trees (Laurus nobilis) are a sign of damage by the bay sucker. Scale insects can also affect bays at this time of year.
Neat circular areas removed from the edges of rose and other leaves are telltale signs of leaf-cutter bees at work. These fascinating creatures are best tolerated since damage is rarely severe.
Yellow and distorted leaves on cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) indicate a powdery mildew problem.
You may notice damage to leaves of Viburnum by viburnum beetles. The damage is not usually bad enough to warrant treatment.
Lawns and meadows
Keep mowing regularly, except during drought. In hot weather, set the mower at a slightly higher level than normal for early summer. This can prevent the lawn drying in hot weather.
Last time to apply a liquid summer lawn fertiliser, especially if a spring feed was not given. A soluble feed and weed product may be useful if there are weeds present in the lawn.
Don’t worry unduly about brown patches on the lawn - they will recover quickly when the autumn rains arrive.
If a completely green lawn is necessary, then use a sprinkler once a week. Place an open jam-jar on the lawn and leave the sprinkler running for sufficient time for 13mm (0.5in) of water to collect in the bottom of the jar. This is the optimum amount to avoid wasting water, while still wetting the roots sufficiently.
New areas of grass, sown or turfed in the spring, will need extra watering to keep them going through their first summer.
Lawn growth slows down in late summer. Raise the cutting height slightly as the month progresses, to help the grass better resist the wear it suffers in summer.
Troubleshooter
Inspect any yellow patches on the lawn: if they contain small pinkish-red strands, then you may have red-thread in the lawn. This is a fungal disease, common on light soils after heavy rain, when the nitrogen is washed out of the soil. A nitrogen-rich fertiliser should remedy the situation, and the damage is rarely long-lived.
By mid-summer some lawns may be heavily infested by ants. Brushing out the nests on a dry day is the best method of control, and should be done prior to mowing.
Isolated weeds can be dug out or spot-treated with a paint-on weedkiller.
When mowing, take time to generally inspect the lawn. You may notice areas that could benefit from more radical renovation in the autumn.
Ponds
Top up ponds and water features if necessary - a spray attachment on the hose will aerate the water, and help the fish.
Any pumps on water features should be left on during sultry nights, as oxygen levels are lower in such conditions.
Remove dead foliage and blooms from waterlilies and other aquatic plants. Cut back any marginal plants that are getting out of hand.
Cover ponds, or use safety grills, in gardens where young children play. These have the additional advantage pf preventing leaves falling into the pond.
Troubleshooter
Skim off floating weeds, such as duckweed, with a net, rake, scoop or wooden board. Leave weeds on the side of the pond for 24 hours to allow trapped creatures to return to the water, before adding the weed to the compost heap.
Blanket weed can be pulled out by twirling a stick through the water to dredge it out. Again, leave weeds on the side for 24 hours before composting them.
Cover ponds with nets or safety grills in gardens where young children play. These have the additional advantage pf preventing leaves falling into the pond.
Clean out debris lurking in the depths of the pond. This will improve the water quality and prevent excess debris from promoting the growth of weeds, algae or marginal plantings, and from releasing toxins that could harm fish or wildlife.
Wildlife gardening
Jobs for the month
- Top up bird feeders and put out food on the ground and bird tables
- Avoid chunky foods that could choke young fledglings
- Keep the bird bath topped up
- Regularly clean the bird bath and table
- Plant marigolds around the vegetable patch to attract hoverflies
- Make piles of logs, twigs and/or rocks to create shelter for wildlife
- Go bat-watching on a summer evening!
- Put out hedgehog food
- Construct a hedgehog hibernation box
- Watch out for adult frogs and toads leaving the pond this month
- Plant annuals and perennials to attract insects
- Trim hedges less frequently to allow wildlife to shelter and feed in them
- Leave nesting birds undisturbed in garden shrubs and hedges
- Cut spring meadows once bulb foliage has died down
- Mow recently established perennial meadows to reduce weeds
- Annual meadows do not need mowing
- Leave roses that produce hips without dead-heading
Birds
Don’t let bird ‘flu fears stop you from enjoying birds in your garden. You can watch the behaviour of birds without coming into any physical contact with them. Wear gloves, apron or overall and a paper face-mask when re-filling the bird feeder, scrubbing out the bird bath, or attending to domestic birds, and the risk of infection will be so low as to be almost negligible. Obviously, if you live in a high-risk area where the H5N1 strain of bird ‘flu has been found, or in a restricted zone as designated by DEFRA, then you should take extra precautions as advised (please see www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/disease/ai/).
Migrant summer-visiting birds from other continents are among those now common in British gardens. You may see willow or garden warblers, housemartins, swifts and swallows.
Avoid peanuts and large chunks when putting out birdfood, as there is a risk that large pieces could be fed by adults to their fledglings, and they could choke. Safe foods include wildbird seed mixes (but not those containing peanuts or dog biscuit); black sunflower seeds (the birds will remove the outside casing, and the inner seed is soft); mild grated cheese; sultanas, raisins and currants (best soaked overnight); pinhead oatmeal; apples, pears and other soft fresh fruit; mealworms and waxworms. Alternatively, you can buy fat balls from many garden centres and bird food suppliers. This is an easy alternative, and you will be confident that you are doing no harm.
To maximise the numbers of different bird species that you attract to your garden, it is a good idea to cater to their different feeding habits. Hanging bird feeders attract species such as tits, finches and sparrows. There are many models available, designed to help keep out rats, cats, pigeons and squirrels, or to fit onto walls, windows, windowsills and balconies. Bird tables attract robins, house and tree sparrows, doves, pigeons, bullfinches, greenfinches, chaffinches and bramblings. Food scattered on the ground attracts blackbirds, thrushes, dunnocks and wrens.
Hanging bird feeders are best sited over a paved or decked area, which can be regularly swept clear of debris. This may reduce problems with squirrels and vermin, if they prove a nuisance.
Bird tables are best sited a few feet clear of cover or high vegetation, so that cats and other predators cannot launch themselves onto unsuspecting feeding birds. They can be quite close to the window or patio, as many birds get used to human activity, and are not then put off by us.
A birdbath can be a vital source of drinking water for birds. Ensure that yours is kept topped up. Models are available to attach to windows, walls and sills, if you are limited for space. Do be aware of hygiene: change the water regularly and scrub the bath out with a mild detergent (available from bird food suppliers) to help prevent the spread of disease.
Insects
Bug life should be encouraged. Without insects and other invertebrates, there would be no birds and mammals, and many flowers would fail to pollinate, set seed or produce fruit. Bugs help to keep each other in check. It is often when one pest in the food chain is killed with chemicals that others are suddenly free to multiply unchecked, so creating further problems for the gardener.
Damselflies and dragonflies are out in abundance. They are usually spotted near ponds and lakes. Damselflies have a lazier, zig-zagging pattern of flight, whereas dragonflies take a faster and more direct flight path. This is their breeding season, and you may see them mating in mid-air, or laying their eggs around the pond.
Pond skaters and water boatmen can be seen skating on the pond surface in search of food.
Hoverflies are in abundance this month. They are good garden 'pest catchers', so are to be encouraged. They do not sting even though they look similar to wasps - this is just the scary camouflage they use to deter predators. Gardeners have traditionally planted marigolds around the vegetable patch to attract hoverflies to their crops as pest control.
Wasps, despite their reputation as fruit blemishing, stinging pests, are good controllers of many garden pests, including flies and grubs. They are also useful pollinators of flowers.
Gardens with nooks and crannies, and a few areas where debris is allowed to accumulate (perhaps a woodland area or a meadow within a more formal design), are often more insect friendly than those composed entirely of paving, pots, lawn and bedding.
Put out log and twig piles made from old prunings and felled tree branches. These provide valuable shelter for wildlife, and can be made into attractive features by planting up with ferns, primroses, or other suitable plants. A site well away from the house should ensure unwanted creepy crawlies do not stray into domestic areas.
Piles of slabs or rockery stones act as a suitable wildlife habitat, as do old bales of straw or hay.
Mammals, reptiles and amphibians
Many young mammals born earlier in the season are now out of the nest and visible in the garden. You may spot baby woodmice, shrews, voles, and fox cubs. The evening is the best time to spot many species.
This is peak bat-watching season. British bat species are garden friendly, eating midges and tiny insects that cause annoyance on summer evenings.
Young litters of hedgehogs are now learning their survival skills. You may see or hear them foraging for food at night. Hedgehog food is available for sale. It is not a good idea to feed hedgehogs with bread and milk, as this is unhealthy for them. Good quality cat and dog food, or raw minced meat mixed with egg, are suitable alternatives.
You could think ahead and construct a hedgehog hibernation box for later in the season. Although hedgehogs are often happy to choose a pile of old leaves and twigs, some wildlife enthusiasts have reported success with a constructed wooden box. buried under old leaves. A small entrance hole (10-12cm2 or 4-5in2), and a covered tunnel leading to the entrance, will help to prevent foxes and other predators from raiding the nest. A tunnel can easily be constructed using old bricks as walls, and a wooden plank as a cover. You can then watch the hedgehogs come and go from a known location.
Young frogs and newts are now fully formed. They generally stay in the pond for another month or so, and then move further afield, sometimes a couple of miles away. Once old enough to start breeding, they will always return to the pond where they were born to mate.
Adult frogs, toads and newts, on the other hand, start to leave the pond this month, usually when the ground is damp. Later in the season, they will find places to hibernate in for the winter.
Corrugated iron or plastic laid on the soil can provide warm tunnels for small reptiles, amphibians and mammals to hide in.
Plants
As a general rule, single flowers attract more insects than double blooms. Bear in mind that insects are attracted to particular plants for their nectar (Sedum spectabile), their pollen (Lavatera), the shelter they provide (ornamental grasses and many other species) or their suitability for breeding (many native species and weeds, even the common nettle). A variety of insect-friendly planting from all these groups is likely to attract more insects than a mass planting of flowers providing only nectar or pollen.
Hedges, including non-natives and conifers, are a good resource for wildlife, providing shelter, nesting sites and food. Deciduous trees, particularly natives like oak, or coppiced hazel, are excellent choices. Some insects that happily feed from a variety of plants are more selective about their breeding territory, and show a preference for native plants. Deciduous trees additionally support much more plant life underneath them, with bulbs, annuals and perennials thriving in the dappled shade. This is not the case underneath dense conifers.
Be less frequent with your hedge trimming to provide greater shelter and food for wildlife.
Don’t dead-head roses that produce hips. The colourful hips are decorative and a useful source of food for wildlife.
Spring-flowering meadows can be cut and mowed this month, after the bulb foliage has died down naturally. Scything and removal of clippings is all that is necessary, but closer mowing allows the area to be used as lawn for the rest of the summer. Meadow cuttings were traditionally used for making hay, but they can also be used on the compost heap - just remove any pernicious or flowering weeds, so that they don’t spread in the compost.
Recently sown perennial meadows should be mown about six to eight weeks after sowing, when they reach a height of 5-10cm (2-4in), and then again every couple of months in their first year, removing the cuttings each time. This helps to control weeds and to toughen up the meadow plants. A stronger healthier meadow will be the end result.
Recently sown annual wildflowers do not need mowing. Just leave them to develop and flower, but be aware they will only last one year, and will die back completely in the autumn.
Garden structures
Take advantage of dry weather to catch up on painting and preserving jobs - sheds, fences and garden furniture are all regularly in need of a new coat.
Gardening for children
As well as being able to take part in many of the above activities, here are some extras especially for them.
Pre-school and primary school age children
- Sowing vegetable seeds: Although it is fairly late in the season, small and quick-maturing vegetables can still be sown, and will give fast, edible results. Try radishes and baby carrots, or runner beans in southern and mild regions of the UK.
- Sowing tree seeds: Large seeds are easier for young children to handle, so tree seeds with keys (‘wings’), such as sycamore or ash, are good choices. Harvest seeds when nearly ripe, taking the child with you on a hunt for suitable material, and then leave the seeds to fully ripen in a paper bag (the keys will become progressively darker and more papery). Seeds can be sown with the keys still attached, making them easier to pick up with small hands; use gritty, well-drained compost. Tree seeds will not germinate until the following spring, so patience will be required - but when you tell the child how many hundreds of years some trees can live for, they will appreciate that trees operate on a different timescale from humans. Remember to pot on the seedling as it grows.
- Filling pots and learning to strike cuttings: Adults and children can form their own assembly line in the potting shed, the child filling and firming down pots of compost, and the adult striking the cuttings. As children gain in dexterity and confidence, they can take on other jobs, perhaps dipping the cutting bases in hormone rooting gel or powder, dibbing holes, and finally inserting the cuttings themselves. They will enjoy the intimacy and incidental chat that such companionable working affords.
- Toddlers: Take them round the garden, introducing them to rattling poppy seedheads, the furry leaves of Stachys byzantina (bunnies’ ears), or on a hunt for wiggly worms, beetles and other creepy crawlies.
Secondary school age children
- Make a topiary frame out of wire: Encourage children with artistic tendencies to sculpt a mesh-wire frame to place over a young privet or box plant. When the branches have grown through the frame, they can be trimmed down to the shape of the wire, the child having created their very own topiary artwork.
- Encourage particular fascinations: Some children may be uninterested in the garden, but are fascinated with potted cacti or with carnivorous plants. Starting with the Venus flytrap, interested children can be introduced to a wider range of carnivorous plants, with joint trips to gardens and nurseries to view and select ever more weird and wonderful specimens.
- Expend excess energy and improve fitness with ‘macho’ tasks: Building a rockery, digging a pond, or hand-shearing hedges are all good choices. Some teenagers will undertake these tasks out of willingness alone, others in exchange for a reward. But it can be fun to treat the task as a joint challenge. Have cold drinks at the ready, prepare a barbeque or order pizza, and involve everybody, making the job a bonding activity for the whole family.