I am always curious to see how the grass at Wimbledon copes with the pounding it gets over the two weeks of summer glory. Courts are made up of a unique blend of grasses with a high percentage of fine grass that can be closely cut and can cope with the relentless schedule of the professional circuit.
It puts the lawns around me to shame! The most important factor in maintaining a lawn for most of us, is not allowing the grass to get too long (over 40mm) or cutting it too short (10mm). That, and clearing away all the cuttings to prevent a “thatch” building up, should ensure that your lawn remains in reasonable shape.
As a contrast, ornamental grasses have become more and more popular. Visit any garden centre and most contemporary gardens and you will see species such as Carex, Miscanthus, and Fescues there adding texture, colour and movement. They echo the wilderness, bring something of the savanna and introduce something of what we see in the country at this time of year – meadows. These are subtle patchworks of colours that have their own characters, swaying in the wind and hosting a whole gamut of wildlife.
Be careful to choose ornamental grass species that don’t run riot in your garden, but it is well worth experimenting with this increasingly popular trend. As a garden designer in Hampshire, I am careful not to give clients a garden full of maintenance issues!
• As the weather becomes drier and hotter, the blades of your lawn mower can be raised. Avoid cutting your lawn too hard as it will not be doing it any favours if a drought sets in.
• Many tall herbaceous plants will be coming into their own now (Delphinium, Echinops, Eupatorium), and if they are not in large clumps, they will probably need staking. I prefer using sticks rather than canes as they are more informal and the side twigs act as a good support system.
• Philadelphus and Weigela can be pruned after they have flowered. Likewise, deciduous magnolias can be shaped to create the desired effect.
• Pond weed is likely to start blooming when the water temperature rises. This can be more pronounced if rich soil with high levels of nutrients is leeching nitrogen into the water. A bale of barley straw will help neutralize this but there is no substitute for carefully raking out pond weed and planting suitable pond plants in extremely poor soil.
• Don’t be afraid to experiment by running water from your downpipes into your pond: fix a temporary system that can be adjusted or removed in the winter months. Plastic, flexible, transparent “piping” can be bought from builders’ merchants and fixed using strong tape.
• As above, don’t be afraid to experiment with harvesting rainwater for the traditionally dry months of July and August. Plants that have been put in over the past year will need particular attention as they will have been used to the near perfect conditions of a nursery.
• Deadhead roses by snapping off any faded flowers breaking the stalks just below the head.
• Shape and trim conifers checking there are no nesting birds and that you don’t cut back too hard to go into the bare wood: they may not regenerate!
• Prune plum trees by thinning and cutting back to growth “nodes” – where side shoots are appearing.
The great thing about connecting up a natural watering system in your garden is that it can operate when you are away. Given how keen everyone seems to be to get out and about now lockdown is mostly over… this is just as well!