Category: Accidental Cottage Garden

To Do in the Garden: July 2026

On By durhammastergardenersIn Accidental Cottage Garden, Garden pests, garden tasks, Gardening calendar, gardening in NC, Uncategorized

By Gary Crispell, NC State Extension Master Gardener SM volunteer of Durham County (aka the Accidental Cottage Gardener)

July in North Carolina. Is it going to be hot? Do bears…, well you know. Of course, they do and it will be. And rain will be spotty at best and lots of folks will complain. Welcome to summer. Find a cool spot, a cooler beverage, and a good book and enjoy. Or you could come over and help me spread the 20+ cubic yards of chipper chips I inadvertently was graced with last week. (Long story. Bring lemonade or ice cream.) So, the Accidental Cottage Garden is now casually attired in wood chips as is right much of the rest of the yard. 20 yards is a lot of anything.

The ACG looks better now after a wee bit of rain. There are numerous (ok, 12 or 16) different plants in bloom at the moment. Here’s the list: Balloon flower (Platycodon grandiflorus), Zinnia (Zinnia elegans), Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Black-eyed susans(Rudbeckia hirta), Asiatic lilies, (Lilium x ‘Corsica’), African marigolds (Tagetes erecta), False vervain (Verbena bonariensis), Chinese forget-me-nots (Cynoglossum amabile), cosmos (Cosmos sulphureus), Bee Balm (Monarda fistulosa), and the last of the larkspur (Consulida ajaris).

Close-up of a vibrant flower with red and yellow petals, surrounded by green leaves.
Close-up of a vibrant pink flower with yellow stamens against a blurred background.
Close-up of a white flower with orange center surrounded by green leaves.
A monarch butterfly resting on a pink flower, surrounded by a garden of colorful blooms.


Zinnias are a great summer bloomer that come in all shapes and sizes. They are colorful, easy to grow, and attract pollinators. It is a cheerful addition to a variety of landscape locations (Image credit clockwise: Chris Gladis CC BY NC2.0;Tanaka Juuyoh CC BY 2.0; Krzysztof Golik CC BY 4.0; Kristen Paulus CC BY 2.0))

Now, for those of us who just can’t kick back all summer here’ s all the authorized sweat producing activities for you to pursue. PSA!! Let’s just get this out of the way now and I won’t harangue you with it anymore (this month). SOIL TESTS ARE FREE THROUGH NOVEMBER. Get the stuff (sample box and information sheet with instructions) from the Extension office at 721 Foster St., Durham. The results from NCDOA will tell all you need to know to optimize your soil for whatever you intend to grow. It ain’t hard. Just do it. Last month the blog published a great video on how to take a soil sample.

Lawn Care

Fertilize any warm season grasses (Bermuda, zoysia, St. Augustine) that have been previously neglected. Mow the same by removing no more than 1/3 of the blade length. Mow cool season grasses (fescue, perennial rye, non-banjo bluegrass) no lower than 3”. Treat lawns for grubs after the 15th.

Fertilizing

This month should be the last time you fertilize landscape plants (trees and shrubs) until 2027.

Planting

For the perpetually procrastinating people, planting pumpkins is perfectly permissible provided plenty of preparation precedes planting procedures. One can also plant tomato (plants), broccoli (plants), beans (seeds), brussels sprouts plants) and carrots (seeds). Competitive types can get a jump on the fall garden by planting cruciferous seeds broccoli, cabbage, etc.) in flats to be transplanted to the garden in mid-August. Pot up (move to a larger size pot) or transplant overgrown house plants.

Pruning

Last chance to prune landscape plants. Pruning later will stimulate new growth that may not have time to harden off before winter comes (and it will come). Coniferous plants (seeds are produced in cones) can be pruned lightly now. Bleeder trees (leak a lot of sap when cut) such as maple, elm, birch and dogwood (Acer,Ulmus, Betula and Cornus) can be pruned in July. Blackberry and raspberry fruiting canes can be whacked to the ground, but not until after the final berries have made it into a pie. Many perennials will rebloom if you clip off the spent blooms before they set seed.

Spraying

There are several pancrustacial hexapodial invertebrates of the class Insecta (Bugs to those of us without entomology PhDs.) for whom you might feel enmity and who are out and about this month feasting on your favorite flora. As they are not innocent, no attempt will be made to protect their names. The suspects are bagworms (most of whom are now ensconced in their bags). You will have to pick them off and dispose of them in any manner you see fittin’. Leaf miners (Beware some of them carry little pick axes.), spider mites (I know, technically they are arachnids, not insects—get over it.), aphids (which are ubiquitous), lace bugs, the bane of rose and grape lovers everywhere—Japanese beetles all of which can be treated with a variety of insecticides.

Close-up of a brown, woven insect cocoon hanging from a green shrub branch.

Wondering what this is hanging in your coniferous tree? It’s a bagworm casing and there are a variety of strategies that can be used to identify, monitor, and get rid of them. (NC Cooperative Extension)

There are several organic (not long carbon chain organic, but less-harmful-to-pollinators organic) and as always, read the label and follow the instructions. Watch for tomato blight. It is a fungus. Treat as necessary. Maintain any rose, fruit tree and bunch grape spray programs. Vegetable pests of the month include cucumber beetles, flea beetles on tomatoes and beans and eggplant and the afore-mentioned aphids on everything with suckable plant juice.

OTHER JULY ACTIVITIES IF YOU TEND TO GOOVE ON THE HEAT AND HUMIDITY VIBE:

If you’re feeling especially ambitious you can always build cold frames and greenhouses to over-winter your tender and semi-hardy plants. You can always spread mulch.

Personally, I’m going to take the grandkids to the pool twice a week and hang out in the shade the rest of the time (after I spread all those damn chips). Happy summer, y’all. Enjoy. It’s waaay better here than Arizona or Houston.

Time for a rest! (Image credit: Martha Engelke using Gemini AI)

Additional Reading and Resources

How to grow zinnias and control potential problems.

An integrated plan based on evidence is the best way to control summer pests.

Shortlink: https://wp.me/p2nIr1-7JI

Editor: Martha Engelke

To Do in The Garden: May 2026

On By durhammastergardenersIn Accidental Cottage Garden, Durham NC, garden tasks, Gardening calendar, Uncategorized

By Gary Crispell, NC State Extension Master Gardener SM volunteer of Durham County

Ahh, May.  The lovely month.  The month for mothers, proms, college graduations, and the first great beach weekend—Memorial Day. It is generally not too hot and rarely too cool. The month of balmy days that lead to enchanting evenings on the veranda (deck, patio, veranda—whatever).  Enjoy the evening. There’s gardening to be done on the morrow.

A garden scene featuring purple irises and various colorful flowers surrounded by lush greenery under a clear blue sky.

Despite the drought, the ACG springs to life. The purple of the iris (Iris germanica) shines against a bright blue sky. (Image credit: Gary Crispell)

Speaking of the morrow, there’s sooo much to be done in the Accidental Cottage Garden (ACG).  Being essentially out of commission for six months puts one rather much behind gardening wise.  Nature continues on no matter what your condition.  We were most fortunate to have 7 generous and caring Extension Master GardenerSM volunteers descend upon the ACG and clean it up in preparation for spring.  Never were friends more welcome.  The reward for their efforts is a plethora of blooming plants.  There are flax (Linum vesitatissimum), dianthus (Dianthus deltoides), rocket larkspur (Delphinium ajacis), English daisy (Bella perennis), and false vervain (Verbena canadensis) which will be around all summer.  The iris (Iris germanica) were amazing.  Some of them had been in 3 gallon nursery pots since we moved eight years ago.  I think they were overjoyed to get their roots into something other than C-horizon subsoil.

A vibrant garden scene featuring clusters of colorful flowers, including the red, pink, and white blooms of sweet William plants surrounded by green foliage and brown mulch.
Close-up of a gallardia flower--a vibrant pink and yellow flower with pointed petals, surrounded by green foliage.

(Left to right) Cottage garden staples, multicolored sweet Williams are popping, and the always drought resistant, tried-and true-gallardia has returned. (Image credit: Gary Crispell; Melinda Heigel)

The gallardia (Gallardia pulcherella) has also begun its summer-long show, while the peonies (Paeonia suffruticossa x hybrid) came and went in less than a week—too hot and dry, I reckon.  What we really enjoy right now are the many-hued sweet Williams (Dianthus barbadus).  They just cover the white/pink/red/violet spectrum.

This year’s experiment (There’s always one.) will be with a lot of zinnia (Zinnia elegans) seeds and not quite as many cosmos (C. bipinnatus & C. sulphureus).  Going for the cut flower thing.  I wanted to sow them a month ago, but I have (like everyone else) been waiting for rain.  Now that we’ve had some, let’s go play in the garden!  

Lawn Care

Warm season grass people, it is your turn.  If you didn’t fertilize the lawn in April, get to it.  A good slow-release fertilizer that meets the requirements notated in your SOIL TEST results is in order.  Also, sharpen those mower blades.

Cool season grass folks, just mow it, but not less than 3”.  Do not, he repeated, fertilize cool season grasses until fall.

Fertilizing

Speaking of fertilizing; long-season vegetable crops like tomatoes, beans, and squash (among others) will benefit from a side dressing1 6-8 weeks after germination.  (What?!  You didn’t start your own from seed?  You bought plants at a Big Box?  Give them a week or two in the ground and then side dress.)

While you have the bag open throw some fert at your summer annuals and perennials, too.

Azaleas and rhododendrons and camellias and other ericaceous (acid loving) plants will benefit from a shot of acid fertilizer about now.

Planting

May is the second best time in the veggie garden.  (Everybody knows harvest is the best time.)  It is time to plant beans (snap, pole, bush limas, etc.), cantaloupe, cucumbers, eggplant, okra, southern peas, peppers sweet and hot, pumpkins, squash, watermelon and, for you non-competitive types, tomatoes.

Gladioli bulbs may be planted now as may begonias, geraniums and other annuals that you didn’t plant in late April.

Pruning

A photo of a hot pink azalea bush in full bloom with dark green leaves and a photo of a spent camellia bloom, now brown, surrounded by glossy dark-green leaves.
A wilted brown flower surrounded by green leaves.

May is a good time for pruning late-winter and spring-blooming woody plants like camellias and camellias–once the bloom show has ceased.(Image credit:Jim Robbins CC BY-NC-ND 4.0; Cathy DeWitt CC BY 4.0)

Spring-flowering shrubs (e.g. azaleas, camellias, etc.) may be pruned as soon as the blooms fade.  Azaleas may be pruned until the 4th of July without cutting off next year’s buds.

Overgrown hedges can still be pruned.

Keep pinching back garden mums until mid-July.

Hand prune azalea and camellia leaf galls.  They are generally not harmful to the plant but are most unattractive.

I realize your grandmother always cut back the daffodils and iris and other spring bulbs as soon as the flowers faded.  I urge you to resist the temptation to carry on that tradition.  The bulbs need that foliage to make the sugars that will provide the energy to bloom again next year.  Wait until the foliage itself yellows before whacking it off and relegating it to the compost heap.  The bulbs thank you.

Spraying

Monitor rhododendron species including azaleas for borers.  Spray if necessary.

Spray iris beds for iris borers which you probably will not see.

Scout for and spray as necessary for bag worms.  They are on the move this month.

May is a good time to begin to try to eliminate poison ivy/oak (Rhus radicans) and Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica).  Best wishes.

Begin spraying squash vines for borers.

Monitor the blueberry plants for borers.  Spray as necessary.

Continue the never-ending spray programs for roses, fruit trees and bunch grapes.

Other insect pests active now include azalea lace bugs, boxwood leaf miners, euonymus and tea scales, spider mites (especially on coniferous evergreens), the ubiquitous aphids, and the bane of my gardening existence–white flies.

If (or more likely when) your tomatoes show signs of blight begin a fungicide regimen.

Always, always only spray when necessary and READ & FOLLOW label directions.

OTHER THINGS TO DO IN MAY THAT COULD QUITE POSSIBLY INCLUDE THE GARDEN

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with mariachis and an appropriate libation (and friends, of course).

Mulch stuff.  You and the plants will be much happier through the summer (of drought and water restrictions?).

Perhaps Sunday afternoon tea on the veranda (or wine and cheese–nobody’s judging.)

Put out a flag on Memorial Day and thank a veteran.

A most merry May, Y’all.

Notes

1–Side dressing refers to the placement of fertilizer alongside plant rows or plants. This is typically done once plants have started to grow.

Resources and Additional Information

Caring for spring bulbs after flowering

Tips on pruning camellias

Fundamentals of fertilizing

How to direct sew flower seed in spring

Edited by Melinda Heigel, NC State Extension Master Gardener SM volunteer of Durham County

Article Short Link: https://wp.me/p2nIr1-7rV