July is here, summer heat is in full swing, and a perfectly natural phenomenon is happening in your garden beds: many of your favourite perennials, after giving their all in June, are starting to flop, turn brown, or go to seed.
When faced with a patchy salvia plant or an overgrown aster, the first instinct is often to leave them alone. However, this is a mistake! In production greenhouses, early July is the exact moment our teams spring into action to give plants a strategic "fountain of youth" or shape them for the season ahead.
Discover the list of specific varieties to work on right now to transform your garden for the rest of the summer.
1. Spring-Blooming Perennials to Cut Back (Post-Bloom)
These varieties gave their all in June. We shear them back hard to remove faded flowers, rejuvenate the foliage, and stimulate a spectacular second flush of blooms.
Perennial Salvia (Salvia)
- Which salvias to prune: The timeless classic 'Caradonna', 'May Night' (Mainacht), as well as the popular 'Sensation' series (Rose, Deep Blue) and 'Marvel' series (Blue Marvel, Rose Marvel).
- When to prune? The primary early summer bloom is wrapping up. The long flower spikes are turning brown and drying out, and the plant is starting to produce seed.
- How to prune: Shear the plant back almost to the ground, cutting just above the fresh, low rosette of green leaves at the base.
- The result: You force the plant to maintain a tidy, compact habit while triggering a gorgeous second flush of blooms in August.
- The exception to remember: This hard pruning applies strictly to perennial salvias. Annual salvias (such as the 'Sallyfun' or 'Grandstand' series) should never be cut to the ground; simply deadhead the faded flowers by hand to keep them blooming.
Catmint (Nepeta)
- Which catmints to prune: The essential 'Walker's Low', as well as the excellent 'Cat's Pajamas' or 'Cat's Meow' series.
- When to prune? After its spectacular spring growth, the plant tends to split open in the center, flop onto the ground, and sprawl under the weight of summer thunderstorms.
- How to prune: Grab a pair of hedge shears and confidently cut back two-thirds of the plant to reshape it into a tight, dense mound about 10 to 15 cm tall.
- The result: The plant straightens up immediately, pushes out brand-new foliage, and covers itself in hundreds of purple flowers within a few short weeks.
- The exception to remember: No major exceptions for these varieties! They all absolutely thrive after a vigorous mid-summer haircut.
Perennial Geranium (Geranium)
- Which geraniums to prune: The 'Boom Chocolatta' or 'Midnight Reiter' series (highly prized for their striking dark foliage), the classic Geranium sanguineum 'Max Frei', or the dependable 'Vision' series.
- When to prune? Once these single-blooming spring varieties have completely finished flowering. Their stems will stretch out, the plant will split in the center, and the oldest leaves will start to yellow.
- How to prune: Cut the tired foliage all the way back to about 5 cm from the base.
- The result: A flawless mound of fresh, bright green leaves will reappear in just a few days, keeping the border looking crisp and tidy.
- The exception to remember: This hard haircut is only for single-blooming cranesbills. For continuous-blooming hybrids like the famous 'Rozanne' or the 'Perfect Storm' series, do not cut them to the ground! Instead, simply trim back the length of the stems by one-third with shears to promote branching without stopping flower production.
Lady's Mantle (Alchemilla mollis)
- Which lady's mantle to prune: The straight species Alchemilla mollis or the selection 'Thriller'.
- When to prune? Its frothy, chartreuse blooms are starting to dry out and turn a rusty brown color. Under the hot July sun, the large, pleated leaves may also begin to scorch along the edges.
- How to prune: Cut all flower stems right to the base and ruthlessly remove any sun-damaged or dried leaves.
- The result: You stop seed production in its tracks and encourage the rapid growth of gorgeous, velvety new leaves that beautifully catch morning dewdrops. The plant stays clean and pristine right up until the first frost.
- The exception to remember: Lady's mantle rarely produces a second round of flowers after pruning, but this step is essential to keep it looking tidy and to prevent it from aggressively self-seeding throughout your garden.
2. Fall-Blooming Perennials to Pinch (Pre-Bloom)
For these late-season bloomers, we aren't cleaning up faded flowers. Instead, we are removing the growing tips of fresh green stems to force them to branch out. Note: Early July is your critical deadline! If you pinch too late, you will accidentally remove the upcoming autumn flower buds.
Autumn Asters and Chrysanthemums
- Which varieties to pinch: All varieties of fall-blooming asters (like the popular 'Bahamas' or 'Kickin' series), hardy garden chrysanthemums, and native beauties like the Blue Heart-leaved Aster.
- When to pinch? In early July, when the stems have put on a lot of height but no visible flower buds have formed yet.
- How to pinch: Use your fingers or small pruners to snip off just the tip (the top 2 to 5 cm) of each main stem.
- The result: Each pinched stem will branch into two or three new shoots. You will get a plant that is twice as dense and completely loaded with flower buds for autumn.
Autumn Stonecrop / Sedum (Hylotelephium)
- Which sedums to pinch: The great classic 'Autumn Joy' (Herbstfreude) or the colorful 'SunSparkler' series.
- When to pinch? Early July, right before the green flower heads—which look like small heads of broccoli—start getting too large.
- How to pinch: Pinch the central stems or reduce the height of the tallest stems by one-third.
- The result: This slightly slows down their vertical growth, preventing the sedum from splitting wide open in September under the heavy weight of its massive flower heads.
Step-by-Step Guide: Summer Maintenance Best Practices
The technique is quick, straightforward, and easy for gardeners of all skill levels.
- Clean your tools: Before you begin, disinfect your pruners or hedge shears with rubbing alcohol to prevent spreading any plant diseases.
- Time it right: Gather the stems and cut according to the recommendations above. Aim to do this late in the day or on a cloudy day. This prevents the newly exposed base of the plant from suffering heat shock under the scorching July sun.
- Feed, water, and protect: Pruning gives the plant a minor shock. To help it bounce back vigorously, work a handful of high-quality compost around the base. We highly recommend a handful of Botanix Peat, Seaweed and Crustacean Composted Manure to enrich the soil. Immediately slide your mulch back over the soil to protect root micro-organisms from the sun, then give the plant a deep, generous watering.
Ready to Jump Into Action?
Don't let your garden beds go to sleep for the rest of the summer. Head out with your pruners this weekend and give your perennials the boost they deserve.
Drop by your local garden centre to get the best advice from our experts and explore our selection of healthy, robust varieties ready to plant!
