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In this month’s edition of the podcast we talk to a selection of the top garden designers at the 2014 RHS Chelsea Flower show. We also look at seasonal gardening jobs to do in the garden during the month of July and a selection of plants that look good in the garden at this time of year.

Interviews with Chelsea Garden Designers - 5' 54"

At the 2014 RHS Chelsea Flower show we talked to some of the top garden designers:

• Hugo Bugg – First time Chelsea garden designer with the "RBC Waterscape Garden", winning a gold medal
• Matthew Childs – First time Chelsea garden designer with "The Brewin Dolphin Garden", winning a silver-gilt medal
• Cleve West – Seasoned professional Chelsea garden designer, winning a gold medal this year with "The M&G paradise Garden"
• Harry & David Rich – Won a gold medal last year with their artisan garden and a silver-gilt medal this year with the "Vital Earth The Night Sky Garden"

Click here to view photos of the 2014 RHS Chelsea flower show on our Facebook page.

Plant of the Month - 19' 35"

Our plant of the month for July is Cosmos bipinnatus.

• The ancient Greek word 'Kosmos' means 'beautiful'
• Many cultivars produced
• Species native to Mexico
• Frost tender annual, likes full sun
• Height up to 1.5m, spread 0.5m; staking may be required
• Average growth rate
• Soil: Moderately fertile, moist, well drained
• Flowers: Long flowering, June to October; large, showy saucer-shaped flowers
• Dead head regularly
• Attractive, finely divided-feathery foliage
• Many cultivars have the RHS perfect for pollinators award
• Of the cultivars, ‘Purity’ has pure white saucer-shaped flowers and grows up to 1.2 metres tall. ‘Dazzler’ grows up to 1 metre tall and has bright red flowers. The flowers of ‘Rubenza’ (0.9m) emerge a deep velvet red from the bud, but mature to a lighter rich rose colour. ‘Sensation Picotee’ grows up to 1.2 metres tall and has soft pinkish-white flowers with a rich crimson edge.

Jobs in the Garden - 26' 56"

• Lift and Divide Irises - Irises that have not been split for a few years can become tired and lose their vigour, and this can affect their flowering performance. Dig the clumps up, select the best, plumpest rhizomes and replant them with good space between them having added some well-rotted compost or manure to the soil beforehand. Finally cut back the tall foliage by half, this stops them rocking around too much in the wind as they re-root and it also reduces the amount of evaporation from the leaf surface.
• Collect Seed - Save and store seed of your favourite Aquilegia and Primula. They will set themselves about in the garden, but if you collect the seed beforehand you can have a say as to where they colonise. Sow as soon as the seed is ripe.
• Lift and store spring bulbs such as daffodils and tulips - You don’t have to do this every year, but it is a good routine to get into if you want to create more spring colour around the garden. Dig up the bulbs, remove any young bulbs growing on the sides of the larger ones and store all of them for replanting in the autumn. Discard any diseased or unhealthy looking bulbs.
• Trim and Shape Hedges - If you have left this job until now, well done! Garden birds will have had plenty of time to raise their offspring in the hedges by now and the risk of disturbing them should have passed.
• If you are going on holiday, plan how you are going to keep your plants watered whilst you are away.
• Cutting Delphiniums to the ground after flowering may encourage a second flush of flowers.
• Tie flowers that are flopping over on to stakes
• Dead-heading
• Regular lawn mowing (raise the height of cut in very dry weather)
• Trim border edges
• Regularly spray roses against greenfly and blackspot
• Damp down greenhouse paths regularly to create a humid atmosphere that pests such as red spider mite do not like
• Water and feed containers and hanging baskets regularly
• Cut flowers now to dry for winter arrangements, hang them upside down in an airy place. Suitable plants include bergamots, lavender and teasel.

In the Vegetable Garden - 31' 18"

• Sow seeds outside of: Lettuce, Radish, Carrots, Turnips, Beetroot, Spinach, Swiss Chard and Cabbage
• Harvest: Rhubarb, Peas, French beans, Tomatoes, Onions, Radish, Carrots, Turnips, Beetroot, Spinach, Cauliflowers, Cabbages, Lettuce, Globe Artichokes, Broad beans, Runner Beans, Garlic, Shallots, Marrows, Courgettes, Cucumbers, Potatoes, Calabrese, Broccoli and Swiss Chard

Plants of Note - 33' 24"

Two plants that we felt were worthy of note for this month are:

Rosa 'Hot Chocolate' – Rose

• Hardy floribunda rose
• Novelty Rose of the Year 2006
• Fast growth rate
• 1m tall, 0.6m spread
• Prefers full sun
• Soil: Moist, well-drained, fertile soil
• Flowers: Buds starts off a rusty orange and open to a rich velvety-brown, June to September
  
• Foliage: glossy, dark green
• Easy to grow variety with good disease resistance
• Should be pruned from late winter to early spring
• Strong fragrance
• RHS Award of Garden Merit

Lavandula angustifolia 'Hidcote' - English Lavender

• The word Lavandula is derived from the Latin for ‘wash’; a reference to how the Greeks and Romans would use these plants as a herbal additive in their bathing water
• The species name angustifolia is Latin for "narrow leaf". Previously, it was known as Lavandula officinalis, referring to its medicinal properties
• A compact form of the popular English lavender, named after plantsman Laurence Johnston's famous Arts and Crafts garden in Gloucestershire: Hidcote Manor
• Hardy, evergreen shrub
• Drought tolerant
• Average growth rate
• 0.6m tall, 0.75m spread
• Prefers full sun
• Soil: Moderately fertile, well-drained soil
• Flowers: Deep violet, July to September
• Foliage: Aromatic, silvery-grey leaves
• Cut back the stalks after the flowers have faded.
• Trim back in spring, avoiding cutting into old wood
• RHS Award of Garden Merit
• RHS Perfect for Pollinators

Forthcoming Garden and Flower Shows - 43' 01"

• 08 - 13 July: RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show 2014
• 24 - 27 July: RHS Tatton Park Flower Show 2014

Useful Links

• Buy Plants Online from Crocus