Gardening expert Monty Don has urged gardeners to cut back early flowering perennials in July to ensure vibrant blooms in autumn. In his personal gardening blog, Don advises cutting oriental poppies, delphiniums, and hardy geraniums such as G. phaeum to the ground to encourage fresh regrowth and repeat flowering in a couple of months.
Why July Is the Perfect Time
Describing July as a month of abundant growth, Don writes: "With warm nights and days, everything grows lustily. The days are long and there is none of the slight weariness in the garden that can shadow August. It is the month of school holidays, and the garden flows and swells with both floral and edible harvests." He notes that at his own garden, Longmeadow in Herefordshire, hay is made at the start of the month and crops ripen quickly, with a sense of using every precious moment of summer.
Step-by-Step Guidance
Don explains that cutting back early perennials "creates space for tender annuals and perennials in the border." He instructs gardeners to remove all cut material to the compost heap, weed around the base of the plants, water if necessary, and avoid planting too close so that the plants have light and space to regrow and flower again at the end of summer.
Hedge Cutting and Meadow Care
Beyond perennials, Don also shares guidance for hedges: "By the end of the month birds have all fledged and left their nests, so hedge cutting can begin, bringing back a crispness to the garden that restores a sense of vitality and provides a framework for late-summer shagginess in the borders." He adds that by the end of July, most wild flower meadows can be safely cut back, with the important step of removing all grass and raking it up to compost, so that it does not enrich the soil and limit next year's wild flower display.
