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Here is our monthly round-up of news, tips and ideas to make the most of your garden this summer!
July is one of the warmest and most rewarding months in the garden, with vibrant blooms, ripening crops, and the promise of long sunny days.
With summer in full swing and the heatwave bringing soaring temperatures, it’s the perfect time to sit back, relax, and enjoy your garden at its peak. Of course, there is still plenty to do keep everything looking its best and to help your garden cope with the dry, hot weather.
In this month’s round-up:
July garden checklist
Taking care of your garden in a heatwave
Join the Big Butterfly Count 2026
Outdoor playhouses for children
Summer holidays at Midgley
Create the perfect outdoor entertainment area
What to sow and grow in July
Stock up on firewood
Off the shelf and bespoke log stores
A handy guide to drought-tolerant plants
What to harvest in July
Book of the month
Quote of the month
During heatwaves, it’s especially important to carry out garden tasks early in the morning or later in the evening to avoid the strongest sun and reduce water loss.
• Plant autumn-flowering bulbs – While still dormant, plant autumn-flowering bulbs such as nerines, sternbergia, colchicums and the autumn crocus – for a beautiful display later this year.
• Water thirsty crops – Support the growth of your leafy crops, such as tomatoes, peas, beans and celery, and some fruits, such as pumpkins, squash and cucumbers, by watering regularly.
• Feed containers and hanging baskets – Plants growing in pots quickly use up nutrients and benefit from regular feeding throughout summer.
• Plant out runner beans – If you have runner beans in pots or trays, now is the time to plant them out. Be sure to water well and pinch out the tops when they outgrow their supports.
• Trim hedges – Evergreen hedges can be given a light summer trim to maintain a neat appearance.
• Harvest root vegetables as you need them – Most root vegetables will stay fresh when they are left in the ground, so only harvest as and when needed.
• Keep composting – Summer is a great time for composting, so keep adding kitchen waste and grass cuttings. Prevent the decomposition process from slowing down by keeping your compost bin moist during dry spells.
• Keep an eye out for aphids – Aphids can quickly become a problem in greenhouses when the temperature increases, sucking sap from plants which impacts their growth and can lead to disease. These can be tackled with organic insecticides.
• Plant out tomatoes – Tomatoes hate temperature fluctuations, so July often proves to be the best time to plant them outside. Once in the ground, they will grow rapidly and will need regularly tying to supports.
• Mow regularly – Ensure mower blades are slightly raised during dry spells to avoid stressing the grass.
Visit one of our centres to pick up all the gardening tools you need!
Here are some top tips for maintaining your garden during the hot weather!
During hot weather, it can be tempting to water gardens and lawns heavily, but it’s important to get the balance right. It is actually best to avoid watering an established lawn during a heatwave, as grass is resilient and can survive dry periods. Less frequent watering can encourage deeper root growth as the grass searches for moisture.
If watering is needed, it’s best to do it deeply but infrequently rather than a little at a time, ideally in the early morning or evening to reduce evaporation. The most natural and sustainable option is using collected rainwater from a water butt.
Potted plants should be moved into shade where possible and should only be watered first thing in the morning or later in the evening, when the temperature has dropped. Shade netting works great if you are unable to move your plants out of direct sunlight.
Adding up to 5cm of mulch to moist soil in garden borders and around veg and potted plants will help the soil to maintain its moisture. It is especially important to cover roots that are visible at the surface, to prevent them burning, and to add a generous amount of mulch to vegetables that require a lot of water.
The Big Butterfly Count 2026 will be taking place from Friday 17th of July to Sunday 9th of August.
As butterfly numbers continue to decline, taking part in the count is more important than ever. This remarkable UK-wide survey gives you the chance to help gauge the pulse of nature and assess the health of our environment. Simply count the number and variety of butterflies (and some day-flying moths) that you spot.
The results will contribute to the national butterfly database – aiding conservation efforts and informing the policies that aim to protect these delicate and beautiful insects.
Help shape the future of our environment!
Discover more here.
Long summer days are perfect for outdoor adventures, and a playhouse gives children a space to let their imaginations run wild while also offering a cool, shaded retreat for outdoor fun – especially welcome during heatwaves!
Give children a space of their own in the garden this summer. A timber playhouse can encourage outdoor exploration and creativity, while providing a safe and comfortable place to play.
Our range includes classic Wendy Houses, barn-style playhouses and other handcrafted designs, all built from quality timber and designed with children in mind.
Explore our full range of garden buildings.
As well as catering for all your gardening needs, our Midgley Centre is home to the Little Acorn coffee stop and two fascinating woodland walks – the ideal destination for the whole family to enjoy over the summer holidays!
The Little Acorn, our vintage horse box turned cafe, serves a variety of hot and cold food and drink daily, including award-winning Yorvale Ice Cream, and Pawvale Ice Cream for dogs.
Our nature trails are perfect for children to explore, with historical facts about the area dotted throughout – follow the trail in search of magical fairies, designed by local artist Lanson Moore.
Did you know that The Woodland Learning Centre run weekly sessions for children in our beautiful woodland walk at Midgley?
Designed for children aged 2-8, these sessions give children the freedom to explore, play, and learn in a safe, natural setting. Activities include den building, bug hunting, mud kitchen play, story time, obstacle courses, arts and crafts, and plenty of woodland exploration.
Find out more and book here.
A well-designed seating area can transform the way you use your garden during the summer months, creating a welcoming space for outdoor dining, entertaining friends, and relaxing in the sunshine.
Create the perfect outdoor living space with:
• Decking or paving to provide a durable, level base for garden furniture and outdoor dining
• Pergolas or arbours to add shade, structure, and visual interest
• Planters to soften hard landscaping and introduce colour and greenery
• A fire pit or chimenea to bring warmth and atmosphere after sunset
• Solar lighting to bring outdoor spaces to life at night
Discover our full garden landscaping range.
• Beetroot – Sow the seeds outdoors in 1cm-deep drills, ideally in light soil that is free of large stones. Most globe types of beetroot are ready to sow in 8-10 weeks. If in doubt, it is better to harvest beetroot too early rather than too late.
• Kohlrabi – Sow little and often from February to August for a constant supply. Harvest kohlrabi when it is young and between a golf ball and tennis ball size, to avoid losing flavour and tenderness.
• Mangetout peas – Sow directly into soil outdoors and, as the plants grow, support them with a strong wigwam structure covered in netting for them to climb up. Harvest the pods regularly, while they are young and not stringy.
• Swiss chard – Pick a sunny area and plant the seeds into shallow drills at any time from March to September. Cover with soil and water well. After 10-12 weeks, fully formed leaves with be ready to harvest, but young leaves are also delicious and can be picked as and when needed. Cutting individual leaves as needed means the plant will keep producing new growth.
July is the ideal time to fill your log stores with a delivery of our air-dried firewood.
Sourced mainly from our own woodlands, our exceptional hardwood and softwood logs are supplied in cubic metre IBCs for excellent value and convenient delivery.
Expertly cut and split, our firewood logs are clean and dry – perfect to stash away for the winter.
Stock up now – arrange your delivery today!
Our range of log stores are designed to keep firewood neatly stacked and well ventilated, helping to reduce moisture levels for efficient burning.
Available in a variety of styles, including the Heritage, Midgley, Wortley and Stocksmoor, these attractive firewood storage solutions make a stylish addition to any outdoor space. We can also create bespoke log stores to suit your specific requirements.
Visit us in-store to view our entire range of outdoor log storage options.
With hotter, drier summers, and more frequent heatwaves, becoming the norm across the UK, drought-tolerant plants can help you create a resilient, colourful garden while reducing the need for regular watering.
Here are some of our favourite plants that are ideal for dry, sunny gardens:
• Lavender – A classic choice for dry borders, offering fragrant foliage and long-lasting flowers that are great for pollinators.
• Verbena bonariensis – Tall, airy stems topped with clusters of purple flowers that add height and movement while attracting butterflies throughout summer.
• Sedum (Hylotelephium) – A reliable late-season perennial with fleshy leaves and flat flower heads that provide strong colour well into autumn.
• Russian Sage (Perovskia) – Known for its silvery, aromatic foliage and hazy spires of soft blue flowers, thriving in hot, sunny spots.
• Cistus (Rock Rose) – A sun-loving shrub that flourishes in poor, dry soils, producing delicate papery flowers during summer.
• Ceanothus – A striking evergreen shrub covered in masses of vivid blue flowers in late spring, becoming very low-maintenance once established.
• Choisya – A neat evergreen with glossy foliage and fragrant white flowers in spring, thriving in sheltered, sunny positions.
• Stipa tenuissima – A fine, feathery grass that moves beautifully in the breeze, adding softness and texture to your garden.
• Miscanthus – A strong, architectural grass that provides height and structure, and looks especially impressive once fully grown.
TOP TIP: Applying a layer of mulch around plants during the summer helps to retain soil moisture, suppress weeds and reduce the need for frequent watering.
• Apricots – Harvest apricots in late July, picking them from the tree by hand – the fruit bruises easily so be sure to handle carefully.
• Shallots – When their foliage starts to turn yellow and flop over, the first shallots of the season will be ready to harvest.
• Cherries – July is the perfect month for harvesting cherries. Harvest cherries with the stems still attached, either by hand or with a pair of secateurs – unless you plan on using your cherries right away, in which case the stems can be left on the tree.
• Tomatoes – Seeds sown in March and April should be ready to harvest in July. Ideally, tomatoes should be harvested when fully ripe, although they can be harvested when they are still green.
• Courgettes – Courgettes are best harvested when small. Use a knife to cut them off at the base, or sharply twist the stalk.
• Runner Beans – July is the best time to harvest runner beans. Pick the beans every two or three days to prevent them from becoming stringy. The more pods you pick, the more pods your plant will produce.
• Blueberries – The longer these berries are left on the bush, the sweeter they become. To harvest, use your thumb to gently roll the berries off the stem.
My Gardening Life by Mary Berry
Filled with insights into all her own gardens, growing tips, hard lessons, plant lists for all seasons, this book reveals all that Mary Berry has learned through a lifetime of growing.
Available from Amazon here.
“Summer afternoon – to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.”
– Henry James
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