July is the month of the garden. Our annuals have settled nicely into their containers. With fertilizer, regular watering and deadheading they are ready for July and the best of the summer garden. Several of our favorite perennials like our beautiful peonies, have had their moment. Now, we have the peak of the summer garden.

July is the month of day lilies and roses, dahlias and delphinium, phlox and cosmos and many more of our favorites. Gardeners love delphinium. With their tall spikes of colorful blue, purple, pink and white they are traditionally associated with love and an open heart. The rose is always considered the most popular flower of July. They are known for their beauty and fragrance. Roses now are available in many, many colors. They even have roses that can grow and thrive in the northwestern Pennsylvania climate. It’s easy to add a few annuals for mid-summer like zinnias, marigolds, sunflowers and calendula. These can add a little interest where needed in the perennial border.

All this loveliness is not without a little old-fashioned gardening. Weeds steal moisture and nutrients that our plants need to grow and flourish. They grow close to our flowers and cause them to be misshapen. Mulch prevents weeds and conserves soil moisture. Be sure the mulch is about 2 inches from the base of the plant. I have worked with newspapers for many years. Our local paper easily gives us two sections. Don’t even take them apart. As you lay the paper on the garden soil make sure the sections overlap. The weeds will come through any break in the papers. When the papers are down, cover them with your beautiful mulch. If you are unsure of this technique, find a spot to put down the paper and mulch and beside it just the mulch. Anywhere there are newspapers will be weed free. Over the winter the newspapers and mulch will biodegrade.

Our perennials will reward the gardener with many years of beauty if properly fertilized. What is needed is complete fertilizer like 5-10-5 or 10-10-10. Apply fertilizer in the spring and then every six to eight weeks throughout the growing season. Read the directions on the package to fertilize properly. Another important task is to be sure to remove flowers that are past their prime. This will keep the plants, whether annual or perennial, blooming and it will keep the garden tidy. I stop fertilizing by the first of August. Your perennials need to get ready for their season of rest. Fertilizing or pruning in August will cause your plants to try to grow and bloom when they should be getting ready for their season of rest.

July is always the month of celebrations. With our gardens at their peak, plan a family cookout or a campfire complete with marshmallows. Children have wonderful memories of summer evenings with games on the lawn, the fragrance of the beautiful flowers and the joy of friends and families. July slips by quickly, do not miss the best of summer.

(Rebecca Ryan is a lifelong resident of and gardener in the Bradford area. She retired from teaching at Bradford Area School District.)