July is a time to enjoy our gardens and give ourselves credit for producing the color spectacle that shows up in summer. Whether it’s from perennials or annuals, it’s also time to reflect and even plan for next year. Is our color scheme turning out as we planned or are there additions that we would like to make? Maybe it’s not too late to find some material in the garden centers to supplement what we have.

While many thoughts might be buzzing around in your heads, it’s important to look at the plants that you have in your gardens and study how they are performing. Perennials especially may need extra care and attention. One of the little white lies that I told my wife years ago when I started on my garden creation journey was “Perennials, you just plant them and forget all about them.” Wrong! To ensure good plant presentation and long flowering life many varieties need help along the way. 

Will adverse weather conditions, like rain and wind, damage the plants? Some varieties, for example, Physostegia, phlox, verbena, salvia, and echinacea, could benefit from a bit of foliage support. I use green garden twine, bought from Amazon, to loosely tie around the foliage to give extra support and help the plants keep their shape if adverse weather conditions happen. (Photo 1) Sometimes, extra stakes might be necessary or useful but often a simple wrapping around with twine is sufficient. The garden twine blends in with the plant’s foliage and is generally not noticeable. Even some low-growing varieties could, in conjunction with staking, benefit from tying up. To aid this process I use last year’s pruned-off raspberry canes to produce the small sticks needed to provide support for the shorter plants. 

 Another plant management technique is acting at the right time. Will the first flush of flowers come and go and we won’t get an extension of the flowering process? The container photos show an Osteospermum plant in the mixed planter with the first round of spent flowers pinched off. The plant is now supported by four sticks and tied up. Another round of flower buds is beginning to form, and a second flush of flowers will be produced in due course. Last year, I had flowers on a similar plant right through into late fall. Not bad from one six-inch plant that was potted up in early April. (Photos 2 & 3) 

 In some varieties, e.g., salvia, once the first batch of flowers has finished, cutting off the whole flowering stem is a necessary exercise that can significantly add to the extension of color in your garden. (Photo 4) Other varieties that benefit from cutting back are: Nepeta, lady’s mantle, yarrow, coneflower, and hardy geranium. The salvia photo shows how the first flowering stem has been removed, allowing two more to develop and take its place. A little bit of plant maintenance can be very rewarding and will justify the time spent.

 This is what gardening is all about: getting in and around your plants, touching and feeling them and really benefitting from the closeness to nature.