Oops - Jobs for July (before it's too late)

Here are some jobs for July - naturally I'm not necessarily doing any of this at the moment but you may want to!

Sow last succession of hardy annuals; Cornflower, Calendula and Nigella can all still be sown directly into the soil for flowering towards the end of the summer and into autumn. 
 
Cut back delphiniums and geraniums; ​​​​​​​Cutting these back after the first flush of flowers encourages a second flowering period. Feed plants after cutting them back.  

Make tea tonics (for your plants); Comfrey tea is right in potassium, so this is the ideal time to give your plants a mid-season drink. See the link below to make both comfrey and nettle tea. 
​Gardeners World:  Comfrey feed
 
It’s time to sow biennials to flower in May/June next year and these ones are easy and cheap to raise from seed (according to RHS):
 

• Foxgloves
• Honesty
• Nigella (love-in-a-mist)

 
The RHS also says July is the  time to try the Hampton Hack – as opposed to the Chelsea Chop at the end of May!  This is the process of cutting back early-flowering perennials after they have flowered to promote fresh growth and often a second flush of flowers.  I didn't know this was a ‘thing’ – but I have been doing it for a while now – especially with the lupins.  It generally seems to work – if they haven’t been swamped by those damn daisies! (as per previous blog).
 
Companion planting for roses: Phlox, Geranium, and Delphiniums are perennials which complement roses beautifully and require minimal maintenance (always attractive then), incorporating Allium plants (garlic and chives, for example) will assist in combating fungal diseases naturally. Additionally, planting lavender beneath roses effectively controls aphids, offering a natural and fragrant solution to pest management.  Last but not least, planting Asters, Helenium, Rudbeckia, and Sedum near roses will compensate for loss of colour in the garden as roses fade at the end of the summer.