Your Garden In July

Outdoor Dining

Sunshine makes outdoor dining all the more appealing. Whether it is for the family or a few (suitably distanced!) friends, why not enjoy some outdoor meals? BBQs always go down well and with some tasty vegan and veggie options readily available, there’s no need for meat-free friends to miss out & having a separate BBQ for them makes catering easier too.

Brighten up your BBQ area by adding a few pretty plant-packed pots, a visit to your local garden centre or nursery will give lots of inspiration. Whether you buy them ready-planted or have fun creating your own personal colour schemes, given regular watering and a weekly feed with flowering plant food, they’ll look good for the rest of the summer. If flowerbeds near the BBQ (or anywhere!) are losing their impact, just add in some seasonal colour: Choose perennials that look great now and they’ll be there looking good each summer and for years to come. There are lots available including penstemons, dahlias, salvias and verbenas – the choice is yours…and many also look pretty in pots too.

Houseplants

I’ve never be a great fan of china ornaments; I prefer living ornaments in the form of houseplants. There are so many easily available and perfect for bringing colour and life to nearly every part of your house, often with minimal effort needed too! Try moth orchids for fail-safe flower spikes with a touch of the exotic on partially shaded windowsills, a parlour palm for a shadier spot or cacti and succulents for sunny locations.

Visiting the houseplant area in the garden centre will provide you with far more options than these and don’t forget to buy some houseplant feed for them too. Without too much effort your new houseguests will reward in many ways, many purify the air as well as looking great and bringing a distinctly tranquil feel!

Content By:

Pippa Greenwood