Our gardens are growing apace this month and there’s plenty to be getting on with as Dig It’s Peter Brown and Chris Day tackle those essential tasks, plus a round-up of July events and garden stories around the UK.

What’s on

4th - 9th July: RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival, Surrey. Shop for plants from specialist nurseries and be inspired by gardens.

15th & 16th of July: Belvoir Castle Flower and garden Show, in Grantham, Lincolnshire.

19th - 23rd July: RHS Flower Show Tatton Park, Knutsford, Cheshire.

News

King Charles and Queen Camilla open the Coronation Garden in Hazelbank Park, Newtownabbey, Ireland.

The secret Italian Garden in Great Ambrook opens in Devon.

Perennial’s garden The Laskett opens to the public.

Record stag beetles this summer.

The Scottish government may not be following the same timeline for peat-free ban than England.

Globetrotting rare Ghost orchid flowers at the Chelsea Flower Show.

Peat free test trials featured in Amateur Gardening showing positive results on two major products.

B&Q says don't dig your garden - it's bad for your soil and the environment. Listen back to Charles Dowding’s Dig it podcast.

Lincolnshire beans could provide British solution to imports.

Dig It Top Five 6-pack bedding 1. Geranium White, 2. Geranium Deep Red, 3. Lobelia trailing – all colours, 4. Petunia Mixed, and 5. Antirrhinums.

Plant mentions: Allium seed collection and drying the head for decoration, Borage, Eucalyptus, Rose 'Peter's Persica', butterfly attracting plants such as Buddleja, including the newer dwarf varieties, B ‘White Profusion’, Foxgloves, Verbena, Marjoram, perennial wallflowers, Courgette ‘Eight Ball’, Heirloom seed varieties from Garden Organics, Wisteria (summer pruning), Wisteria ‘Amethyst Falls’, Spiraea, Philadelphus (mock orange), Marginal, Water Lilies and Oxygenating plants for ponds, Sweet Peas, Box Moth Caterpillar, Ermine moth webs affecting native hedging, Runner beans, Comfrey, Wallflowers. First early potatoes for Christmas.

Product mentions: Dalefoot Peat-free Compost, SylvaGrow Multipurpose Compost, Baby Bio, Tomato fertiliser, barley straw (to help reduce blanketweed), dichlorination (water changes), Smart Garden solar water features and Root trainers.

Our thanks to Chiltern Music Therapy for providing the music.

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