Coastal Snippets July 2024

While it was icy cold when I was out walking my dog early this morning (-0.7°C / feels like -3.0° according to the weather app), it was worth a bit of chill if it means enjoying a glorious sunny winter day like we have today.  It may not hold a great deal of warmth, but this sunshine is an amazing boost from the winter gloom.  The days are now going to start getting longer and as of July 1st we are all getting tax breaks so we can head into the second half of 2024 with heightened optimism.

Winter may seem like a quieter time for your garden, but it is actually the time when the groundwork is laid for the showcase that it becomes in spring and summer.  Now is the time for weed reduction, mulching, planting preparation for spring and winter pruning.  Plants which benefit from winter pruning include:  roses, hydrangeas, fuchsias, impatiens, hibiscus, azaleas, lillypillys, buxus, deciduous trees (including fruit trees) and evergreen plants and trees.  Winter pruning controls the size of the plant, promotes healthy growth and is helpful in disease prevention.  Our concerted efforts on garden maintenance over the colder months will reap huge rewards in spring and summer.  

July to do list:  Pruning

You are right, the need to prune has already been covered in the paragraph above, but it is so important it needs to be highlighted here as well.  We already mentioned healthy growth and disease reduction but pruning also allows your plants more exposure to winter sunshine. It also helps your gardens be a bit easier to manage throughout these shorter, colder days when we might be a bit less inclined to spend as much time outdoors.