It might be cold and wet in the North Island of New Zealand, but it's a great time to get out into the garden and do some work. For the pay off in spring, it's well worth it. Here are some ideas for what you can do in your garden in July.
Plant of the month: Daphne
If you live in the north, it's a great time to plant daphne. There are new varieties out now. For example, Daphne Perfume Princess.
Loved for its divine perfume, this daphne is bred in New Zealand, it's robust and has masses of pretty pink and white flowers from July to September. Growing to about 1.2m, it's perfect for a pot or in the garden. It tolerates full sun and likes well-drained soil so add some compost when planting in the garden.
What else to plant
Love roses? Well there are plenty in store to choose from right now. Pick from bush roses, climbers and standards for your garden. Remember, for their best blooming potential, roses need at least six to eight hours of sunlight a day. Plant in rich, well-drained soil that's high in organic matter. When planting your rose, be sure to dig a hole that's wide and deep enough to accommodate roots.
Winter rose, or hellebores, are flowering now. While they like sun in winter, hellebores thrive in shady spots. Enjoy their evergreen foliage and the range of dainty, coloured flowers from dark, plum shades to whites and a range in between.
Don't neglect the vegie patch. It's always good to get some edibles in at this time of year. Members of the brassicaceae family, cabbage, broccoli and kale seedlings can go into the ground right now. In fact, kale loves cold weather and becomes sweeter with frost.
Harvest
Just because it's cold, doesn't mean there isn't some bounty to pick. Harvest kale, parsnips, Brussel sprouts, beetroot, leeks, yams and spinach.
Maintenance
Prune roses. Give them a good cutback.
Feed bulbs to encourage growth and flowers.
Keep on top of weeds. When the soil is moist is the best time to pull them.
Lay some snail bait to stop the pests munching on your plants.
Stake any plants that need to it to help keep them secure from strong winds.
Our Perfect Plant Promise
Remember the Perfect Plant Promise. All our plants (except seedlings) are guaranteed for 12 months. If you're not 100 percent happy, return your plant (with the receipt or tax invoice) and we'll refund it.
Start planting today
Check out the wide range of plantsavailable at your local Bunnings and bring your garden to life.