🌿 Blog Post: Your Garden in July (Yorkshire)
- Matthew Preston
- Jul 9
- 3 min read
Your Garden in July: Keeping Things Tidy, Healthy and Enjoyable
July is one of the loveliest months to be out in the garden. Lawns are in full use, borders are full of colour, hedges are growing quickly, and everything can look beautifully alive.
It is also the time of year when gardens can start to get away from you.
A few warm days, a bit of rain, and suddenly the grass needs cutting again, weeds are appearing everywhere, shrubs are putting on new growth, and paths, patios and borders can begin to look untidy. For many people, July is the month when the garden is meant to be enjoyed — not a month spent constantly trying to keep on top of it.
Here are a few useful July gardening jobs to think about if you want your garden to stay looking neat and cared for through the height of summer.
Grass can grow quickly in July, especially when we have a mix of warmth and rain. Regular mowing helps keep the garden looking tidy and makes a big difference to the overall feel of the space.
During very dry spells, lawns may slow down or start to look a little brown. This is usually nothing to panic about, as most established lawns recover once rain returns. Newly laid or newly seeded lawns, however, may need more careful watering to help them through their first summer.
Keeping edges neat can also make a huge difference. Even if the rest of the garden is fairly low-maintenance, a freshly cut lawn and tidy borders can instantly make the whole space look more cared for.
Weeds can be especially persistent in July. They appear in borders, gravel, paving cracks and around the edges of lawns, often seeming to come back almost as soon as they have been removed.
Regular weeding is much easier than letting everything build up. A little attention now can stop weeds from taking over later in the summer, especially in beds and borders where they compete with your plants for water, light and nutrients.
Hedges and shrubs often put on a lot of growth during early and mid-summer. Light trimming can help keep them tidy and stop them from blocking paths, windows, driveways or garden seating areas.
However, it is important to be mindful of nesting birds at this time of year. Before any hedge cutting or trimming is carried out, hedges should be checked carefully, and work should be avoided if birds are actively nesting.
For many gardens, a careful tidy-up later in the season may be more appropriate if there is any sign of nesting activity.
In hot or dry weather, pots, hanging baskets, newly planted areas and young plants usually need the most attention. These dry out much more quickly than established plants in the ground.
Watering deeply and less often is usually more useful than giving everything a quick sprinkle. It encourages roots to go down into the soil rather than staying close to the surface.
If you are short on time, focus first on containers, new planting and anything that is visibly struggling.
Many flowering plants will keep going for longer if spent blooms are removed.
Deadheading can encourage fresh flowers and keeps borders, pots and baskets looking brighter and tidier.
Roses, bedding plants, dahlias and other summer-flowering favourites can all benefit from a regular tidy-up.
July is a good month to look at the garden as a whole. Are paths clear? Are seating areas usable? Are shrubs or hedges starting to crowd the space? Is the lawn manageable? Are borders looking neat or overgrown?
Sometimes, a garden does not need a major overhaul. It simply needs regular maintenance so it remains a space you can enjoy rather than another job on the list.
At Preston Gardens, we help with regular garden maintenance, lawn care, hedge cutting, weeding, tidying and garden clearances in Otley, Ilkley and the surrounding areas.
Whether you need a one-off tidy-up or regular help to keep your garden under control, we can help keep your outdoor space looking neat, healthy and enjoyable throughout the summer.
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