By Sue Healey

July is upon us and with it, high summer’s long, warm days. Blue skies and warm breezes beckon us away from our regular lives to the beach, ice-cream stand, or hammock. After all the bustle of spring and early summer July can feel almost hushed in comparison. Most of our early work is done and the burst of blooms has given way to a more sedate palette of green. A nap in the shade is one of the finest pleasures in life and in this month, there is time for them. But the garden also beckons and there is always something to be done if you look long enough. Over the years I have learned to appreciate the work of a garden. The benefits are many; physical, emotional, and environmental. Interacting with our natural environment not only moves our bodies, but it also moves our mood – I have rarely come out of the garden worse than when I went in. So, I love July for the chance to take my time at my chores. For quiet moments in amongst the plants. To think of nothing and everything and maybe discover something new. 

The hot, dry weather of July are perfect conditions to addressweeds you might have missed in early spring. A thorough clean up in early to mid July will stop many of the worst annual and perennial weeds from going to seed. As cliché as it may sound,“one years seeding, seven years weeding” is simple truth. Removing unwanted plants before they set seed is half the battle. As a garden matures and plants shade the ground around them there will be less, and less maintenance but some weeds will always find a way in. Regular weeding decreases their numbers and how difficult they are to remove. A good sharp steak knife makes an excellent weeding tool for work in amongst plants. And while you are there you may be lucky (andstill) enough to spot others at their work. I have spied leaf cutter bees slicing half moons out of the red bud leaves and native carpenter bees shaving the fuzz from rose campion stalks. I’vecaught mama rabbits under the peonies and dragonflies at their afternoon slumber. 

The removal of spent flowerheads, also known as deadheading,is chore that really isn’t one. Many spring blooming plants have finished flowering and stalks can now be removed. For those plants that are a bit exuberant in their sprawl (Campanula, Stachys, Muscari) deadheading is an effective way to keep them contained. A decent pair (or two) of secateurs will make quick work of most stalks. Daylilies are the star of July and a joy to deadhead. The gentle and methodical removal of the spent flowers is my favourite way to decompress after the workdayand I look forward to the daily task. Daylilies each have their ways, and some are better than others. My mango daylily is my favourite to deadhead, as satisfying as plucking ripe fruit. I save it for guests if I can. The reds and deep purple varieties like to be groomed in the morning, their faded blossoms leaving your fingers stained with their dye. Others will drop at the slightest touch. You can, of course, leave them to their own devices. The spent flowers will eventually dry and fall on their own and be no worse for wear beyond an occasional dried bloom stuck to a new bud. As with most deadheading, it is a general tidying before the late summer wave of bloom.

Daffodill foliage is still ripening into July and can be unattractive as it yellows and flops. Tucking the leaves among later blooming plants hides them as they mature. Tulip foliage needs time as well but by mid July can be removed with a gentle tug of the stiff brown stem – another satisfying sensation. Allium and any of the early spring flowering bulbs are treated in the same way. If you’re of a mind to divide your bulbs, any time after the leaves have withered is the time to do it. Bulbs can be dried, sorted and replanted immediately or stored in a cool, dry place until planting in early fall.

If the spring has been wet and the growth lush, as it has been this year, early July is the time to thin plants for air circulation. Peonies, tall garden phlox, and Monarda are all prone to powdery mildew. Thin out overcrowded plants by removing a few stalks to increase air movement and mitigate both disease and pests. As the season moves on and the late summer show begins, plants that are past their flowering stage or tattered can be trimmed back to give late bloomers their moment in the spotlight.

That is enough work to warrant a nap. If you can do only one or two chores before you are off, make it weeding or watering, whichever is most necessary. And if you don’t have enough garden work of your own, your local Horticultural Society certainly does. Volunteers are always welcome and celebrated as the great gift they are. THS regular meetings are on summer pause until September, but you can contact them through their web and social media sites.

📷 S Healey

By Sue Healey, Tillsonburg Horticultural Society 

Orange?

When The Ontario Horticultural Association announced that the 2024 colour of the year was orange, you may have asked the question – Orange? It’s the question I’m usually asked when revealing that my favourite colour is and always has been, orange. So, I would like to congratulate the OHA on an excellent choice and use this occasion to sing the praises of a highly underrated and underused colour. 

I have loved orange for decades, beginning in my teens when theglorious harvest sunrises would light my way to the fields and sometimes, when frost was close, sunsets to light my way home. Those big skies gave me an appreciation for how changeable and broad this colour was; it was warm, cool, bold, and soft. In the garden I have used and loved this wonderful colour from the very beginning. Orange punctuates a planting, instilling a sense of movement and vigour. It pairs with a broad range of colours, warm and cool both. Throughout the seasons good examples can be found in annuals, perennials, trees, and shrubs. Whether it floods the petals, or outlines an edge, orange isexciting, enticing and worthy of the title, colour of the year.

Spring brings the warmth of orange to our gardens with Crown Imperials (fritillaria imperialis) and species tulips. Both add a bold and clear colour element to the end of daffodil season. The perennial tulip, Darwin “Apeldoorn” is a glowing orange – just what we need to jolt us awake after a winter’s greyness. The Geum family, a large and varied group of low mounding plants boasts a fine assortment of bright to pale orange blooms. Bloom time bridges the gap between tulips and peonies. Late blooming wood hyacinths or early irises make pleasingcompanions to any of the spring oranges.

Summer belongs to the romance of roses, and none are as good for shades of orange as David Austin roses. This group boasts colour, repeat bloom, excellent fragrance, and hardiness. “Port Sunlight” is a soft yellow double with a warm, apricot centre and enchanting lemon scent. I partner it with sky blue perennial flax (Linum perrene) for a two week show that has me visiting daily. The next wave of orange isin July with the sumptuous display of Daylilies (Hemerocallis). Offering a wide range of luscious fruit colours; mango, apricot, peach,and melon, some have streaks, some have frills, all are wonderful in their way. My favourite daylily pairing is one of a mango-coloureddaylily set in front of a matte purple smoke bush – a combination to stop you in your tracks. For a cooler, more sedate picture, orange and green are an easy and elegant combination. Add a little silver and you have created the herbal version of a creamsicle. Miscanthus “Morning Light,” a well-behaved grass plays a backup roll to a clear orange daylily and Russian sage (pervoskia) in one of my favourite and enduring groupings. And even with pink, orange can sing (although I’ve heard it said otherwise); think of a stand of mixed zinnias at the height of summer, all ablaze with colour and butterflies – who would walk away from such a happy riot?  

As autumn moves in, combinations of orange and yellow bring warmth and comfort to the garden. Marigolds and sunflowers, helenium andcrocosmia all add touches of flame. Mexican sunflower (tithonia) is a vibrant orange-red annual, tall and bold enough to mix with late season grasses. Add red and the garden becomes fiery; easy to do when leaves are changing. Asters in shades of blues are especially lovely as a counterpoint to all that rich colour.

Winter gives us a chance to use different plants, or even parts of plants as highlights in the garden during an otherwise dormant time of year. Bark and stem colour becomes more prominent against snow or dark earth. Sedums such as “Angelina” show exceptional winter colouring, the normally apple green stems tipped in neon orange are a glowing winter delight. Paperbark Maple (acer griseum) shows off vibrant fall foliage and peeling, metallic orange bark and is small enough in stature to be included in most suburban yards. I hope you take this opportunityto explore this dynamic colour, try some new combinations and break a few old rules. 

If you need inspiration or are looking for more orange options, the 16thAnnual Tillsonburg Horticultural Society Plant Auction and Sale will be held on May 21, 2024, at the Lion’s auditorium. There will be plant, veggie, bake and prize tables along with live auction of great garden merchandise. Open to all, the doors open at 5:00pm.