Harvesting all those crops you have been growing (and freezing and making lots of soup, jam etc to use the surpluses ) and deadheading to keep the flower garden going are the main things to do this month.
Deadheading
For a continuous supply of flowers keep deadheading. Annual bedding plants such as petunias need weekly deadheading to encourage further flowering. I deadhead my dahlias once or twice a week (usually when I am cutting a fresh supply for displays in the house) and my dahlias have been flowering continuously for a good 3 months or more now. I reallly could not have too many dahlias in my garden and am already looking forward to perusing the catelogues in the winter to choose my next purchases.
Watering
Living in the south of France I avoid buying plants which cannot cope with a bit of drought but non-the-less there are always plants or trees in their first year which need help to get through their first summer. Water generously in the evening so that plants get the most benefit from the water and are encouraged to grow a deep healthy root system. And mulch.
Mulching
Keep repleneshing mulch if it gets too thin. Organic mulches are permanently being broken down, which is great for the soil and the plants but means the mulch needs to be topped up from time to time.
Rose care
Keep checking roses for problems and spray if necessary.
Deadhead regularly to get more flowers
Wildlife
Keep birdbaths topped up with fresh water and wash the bath from time to time.
In the Potager (Kitchen Garden)
Harvest crops, especially those like beans which need picking to ensure more grow
Sow spring cabbage, turnips, lettuce, rocket, radish, chicory and parsley
Recipes for the Potager
At this time of the year peppers and courgettes are going mad. Use these up and increase your consumption of healthy, omega 3 -rich fish at the same time.
Stuffed Pepper or Courgette
250 g smoked mackerel
4 peppers or courgettes
3 potatoes
2-3 cloves garlic
2 desertspoons creme fraiche
25cl olive oil
salt and pepper
Heat the oven to 210°. Boil the potatoes until tender. Mash and add the crushed gardlic. Break the mackerel filets up with a fork and add to the potato with the creme fresh. Cut the lids off the peppers and scoop out the seeds. Fill with the fish and potato mix. Put on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and cook for 20 minutes in the oven.
