July is most definitely the month of colour - it's a riot out there! Watering, deadheading and keeping on top of weeds are most people's top 3 in the garden this month but planning ahead never hurts either...

There are always some things in the garden that you'd do differently, and your July garden is often a good time to spot those difficult patches. Make a note of the changes that you'd like to make and take photos to help your memory so that when you do come to make changes later in the season it'll be an easier job.

Pests are usually rampant this month with aphids, particularly greenfly and blackfly multiplying fast.  It's time to get the ladybirds into your garden for a sumptuous feast and if you haven't built a ladybird home yet it's a great thing to do with children. All you need is some lengths of hollow bamboo bundled together with either string or bunched inside a plant pot or something like a catering size coffee tin.  Putting them inside something ensures the canes don't become a wind tunnel and if you've tied them up without putting them inside something do make sure one end of the canes are blocked up with something.  Another way of providing insect homes is to drill some holes into one end of a log.  Ladybirds and other insects will thank you for providing them with safe harbour to either lay eggs or to hibernate.

Managing pests and diseases is especially important in your fruit garden to help keep fruits healthy and with the hoped for sunshine also comes a plethora of weeds.   Keep them under control in order to give your flowers, fruit and vegetable plants room to grow without too much competition.