Issue 40 July 2026

Issue 41 l July l 2026

garden folk mag

Keeping the Community Inspired

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Contents 3 Editors Notes

Features 14 A Summer to Enjoy 24 The Bees Knees Photo Credit: Kim O’Brien

Garden Projects 6 Collie Flowers Grow Along 9 Kerry Kitchen Garden 21 Busy at the Hive 28 The Dumping Ground Garden

Photo Credit: Nic Wright

4 Escape to the Country 11 Living Off the Land: Waste Nothing

Photo Credit:Shone Price

Garden Journeys

Photo Credit: Annette Hurt

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21

25

9

Photo Credit: Kerry Tomlinson

This Month 17

Write for Garden Folk

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Creating a wildlife garden: July

25 Plot to Plate - Blooming Good Recipes 31 Become a Garden Folk Supporter 32 Gardening in July Managing Editor - Ally Phillimoore

Would you like to be part of a future issue? Just pop us an email info@gardenfolkmag.com

Senior Editor - Anjee Harrison

Visit our website @gardenfolkmag 2

A note from our editors

Can you believe that we are into July with yet another heatwave? Even here in Scotland we are expecting over a week with no rain!

Could July bring the first tomatoes in Scotland? And will any of my plants not get eaten by the end of the month? I don’t know about anyone else, but everything is getting eaten this year, even my spring onions - which I was pretty sure was not a slug delicacy.

A few months ago, I mentioned my salad trug which was a huge success. It is now a bit chaotic with salad, tomatoes and flowers everywhere but who cares. It hasn’t been eaten and things are growing, so I will take that as a win.

If you took part in our grow-along last year you will remember it was the year of edible flowers. If they have self seeded and come back in abundance this year, you wont want to miss this month’s Plot to Plate.

It is blooming good!

I hope you all survive the heatwave(s) and when we come back in August your gardens are filled with blooms and harvest baskets overflowing.

Ally x

Leigh has been very busy since Chelsea.

Escape to the Country

Photo Credit: Leigh Johnstone

I promised you all last time that I would report back on Chelsea Flower Show, and I am very pleased, relieved and still slightly shocked to say that it was a huge success.

Photo Credits: Leigh Johnstone

The Classroom Garden, which I created with my friend Lee Connelly, also known as the Children’s Gardening Coach, was built inside the Grand Pavilion and aimed to raise the conversation around gardening, nature and education. We wanted to show what a classroom could feel like if nature was not treated as an optional extra, but as something central to how children learn, play, regulate, imagine and understand the world around them. We had visits from David Beckham, Joanna Lumley and even The King but it was the conversations we had with the public that meant the most. There is still more work to be done but this was a starting point and hopefully starts bigger conversations.

Back home in Wales, life has been much quieter. The garden and fields have carried on without caring that I have been at Chelsea.

The grass has shot up, the trees have filled out, and the apple trees are now covered in swelling fruit. My figs seem to be doing wonderfully as well and I am so excited about eating my first one drizzled in local honey (one day it will be my own). I have decided not to mow the grass on my lawn, but cut strips through the longer grass so we can get around and more importantly so my daughter can get to her trampoline. The difference in wildlife has been noticeable, with far more moths and butterflies flapping around and crickets jumping all over the place.

I have also upped my compost game. I have always tried to make compost in some form but now I have the space and the abundance of material from which to create it. I need to establish a proper system on a bigger scale so this month I had my good friend Eddie from Rhizophyllia come over to help me set up my compost properly.

Eddie swears by simple wire mesh, rolled into a circle and stacked to form a large cylinder, that way airflow is optimised and the heat is right at the centre. With four acres, animals, long grass, pruning, kitchen waste and general garden mess I have no excuse not to make good compost. I will need it as well, as my plan is to create a small kitchen garden over the autumn and winter months ready for sowing and growing next year.

Stormy weather in Wales.

By Leigh Johnstone

@beardygardener

Back to the long grass: there are parts of the land I have deliberately left to grow tall, partly for wildlife and partly because I want to make hay. My scythe arrived this month as well as my traditional hay rake, which makes me feel both deeply traditional and slightly ridiculous.

There is something romantic about the idea of walking through a field with a scythe, cutting hay by hand like some sort of hillside peasant poet. The reality may be less poetic and more sweaty bald man, but I am determined to give it a go.

I still feel very new here. I am still learning the land, learning what grows, learning what needs managing and what needs leaving alone. But each month I feel a little more rooted.

Enjoy the heatwave. See you next month.

Trying out new ways to compost.

Garden Journeys

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Photo Credit: Nic Wright

July is when the brassica bed suddenly looks purposeful. Everything is stretching, thickening, hearting, leafing, and generally announcing what it intends to become. This month is all about harvesting the early performers while protecting the slow burners — and noticing the small shifts that tell you what’s coming next.

In collaboration with

The Kale is looking magnificent.

By Nic Wright @collieflowers.co.uk

Photo Credits: Nic Wright

I’ll be starting to pick kale this weekend, and once you begin, you can keep harvesting little and often for months. Kale is one of those plants that rewards gentle, regular picking. A few leaves from each plant, never the crown, and it’ll keep producing right through summer and well into autumn. In my house, kale also comes with a side-story: I’m technically banned from growing it after a whitefly incident about six years ago that resulted in an invasion indoors. So now I simply tell my husband it’s cabbage. He usually guesses it’s not by the texture, but I get at least one meal a year where I can sneak it in without being moaned at.

Elsewhere in the bed, the Savoy cabbages are starting to develop their hearts, the outer leaves are beginning to fold inwards and you can see the tight, crinkled centre forming. The cauliflowers are doing their dramatic upward-arching leaf thing, which is always the giveaway that curds aren’t far behind. And the sprouts are stretching their stalks, a sure sign that tiny pea-sized sprouts will soon appear and slowly swell through the rest of summer.

But let’s talk about kohl rabi, because I came back from Gardeners World Live to find that mine didn’t make it. The May and June heatwaves took their toll.

Kohl rabi is a cool-season brassica with a shallow root system, which makes it particularly vulnerable to heat stress. When temperatures spike, the plant diverts energy into survival rather than bulb formation. The swollen stem you’re waiting for simply doesn’t develop properly, and instead you get woody, split, or stunted growth. In prolonged heat, the plant can also bolt prematurely, sending up a flower stalk instead of forming that crisp, juicy globe. It’s a classic case of a cool-season crop meeting a hot-season tantrum.

If yours did survive - first of all, congratulations, because they’ve been through it - and I hate to say this, but the forecasts show there’s more heat to come! And second, here’s what to expect: March-sown kohl rabi usually begin to reach harvest size from late June through July. You’re looking for a bulb about the size of a tennis ball. Any larger and they risk becoming fibrous. Keep them happy by watering consistently, mulching to keep the soil cool, and harvesting promptly. Kohl rabi left to sit in summer heat will sulk, split, or toughen.

Garden Projects

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July’s biggest job isn’t harvesting or mourning the kohl rabi however, it’s keeping the beds weed-free.

Brassicas are hungry plants. If they have to compete for nutrients, water, or root space, they simply won’t perform. Weeds steal nitrogen, shade young leaves, and create damp, crowded conditions. A clean bed means stronger hearts, tighter curds, sturdier stalks, and fewer pest problems.

The other non-negotiable July task is netting vigilance. You’ll know this already, but it bears repeating: all a butterfly needs is a tiny crack, a lifted corner, or a leaf touching the net, and you’ll be in for a brassica massacre! Cabbage whites are opportunists. If they can reach a leaf, they will lay.

And if they lay, you’ll be picking caterpillars out of your cauliflowers for weeks. So check your netting every few days. Make sure it’s taut, pegged down, and not resting on the foliage. A single gap is an invitation.

July is also a good month to give your brassicas a mid-season feed. A nitrogen-rich boost helps leafy crops like kale and Savoy put on fresh growth, while cauliflowers and sprouts appreciate the extra support as they move into their structural phase. Think of it as topping up their energy before they commit to the big finale.

How are your brassicas fairing?

If you’re growing multiple varieties, July is when you start to see their personalities emerge. The kale is the eager early riser, the Savoy is the slow and steady worker, the cauliflower is the diva preparing for its grand reveal, the sprouts are the long-game strategists quietly building their architecture, and the kohl rabi - if it survived - is the delicate one that needs a bit of extra care.

So that’s July: harvest the kale, admire the hearts forming, watch for curds, keep the weeds down, guard the netting, and forgive the kohl rabi. We’re halfway through the growalong, and the best brassica moments are still ahead.

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Garden Projects

Credit: Nic Wright

Make to fit netting Don’tsure forget to the keep them securely. covered.

Photo Credit: Kerry Tomlinson

Kerry’s kitchen garden

Such a dreamy space to relax.

The bees are enjoying Kerry’s Just a puppy living his abundance best life. of blooms.

Photo Credits: Kerry Tomlinson

The shift from spring to summer is such a welcome one in the gardening calendar, but this year it has felt particularly well deserved. In our house, no one welcomed the longer evenings and slower pace more than my eldest son after completing his GCSE exams. As parents, it’s been a bit of a rollercoaster supporting our Year 11 through exam season, and I think it’s fair to say we all breathed a sigh of relief when that last paper was finished - including the plant babies.

We escaped for a few days to recharge as a family and returned home to a garden that had clearly taken full advantage of the sunshine in our absence.

The sunflowers had almost doubled in height, the peonies had burst into flower and already faded, and the roses were now stealing the show.

With summer now well underway, the seedlings were officially served their eviction notices from the greenhouse. After weeks of nurturing, it was finally time for them to make their way into the raised beds. Pak choi, lettuces, cucumbers, courgettes, squash, pumpkins, herbs, dahlias, sweet peas and pansies have all taken up residence in their new homes.

The brassicas have negotiated a longer stay. We joined the Collie Flowers and Garden Folk mag grow-along a little late and they were still too small to face the local slug population. After a few extra weeks of pampering in fresh compost, they’re almost ready to join the others.

The greenhouse is absolutely brimming with plants.

Removing the greenhouse staging this year felt pretty significant. For the first time since creating this home kitchen garden, the greenhouse has started to settle into its seasonal role. Rows of potted tomatoes now fill the space, companion-planted with basil and vanilla marigolds. I’m usually drawn to softer, pastel colours for the garden, so the creamy vanilla marigolds were an easy choice.

As a previous allotment grower, one of the things I really missed was growing upwards. Arches and bamboo teepees were part of how we gardened on the plot, so adding that height back into our kitchen garden felt necessary. Rob and the boys built two large timber arches over the raised beds, and by stapling sections of our old chicken run netting to the framework, we’ve created somewhere for cucumbers, runner beans and winter squash to climb.

By Kerry Tomlinson @lottie_thyme_

Speaking of pumpkins, we’re all taking part in a giant pumpkin grow-along hosted by Suttons. It turns out we are more competitive than we’d like to admit.

Each of us selected our own seed from the pack and we hosted a little 'plant me' party. Max's pumpkin seedling was the first to emerge with mine being the last to do so. The pumpkins will be grown using different methods around the garden and we will see who achieves the biggest and heaviest fruit by the 19th October.

Looking around the kitchen garden now, it’s hard to believe how much has changed in a short period of time. What began as a handful of plans is slowly becoming a productive little kitchen garden that’s already giving so much back to our family.

Join me next time as we discover whose pumpkin is leading the family competition and what we are harvesting from the garden.

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Garden Projects

The Kitchen garden building team are back in full force!

Photo Credit: Tori Thomas

Living Liv Liv ing Off ing Off the the Land: Waste Land: Waste Nothing Nothing

By the height of summer, the garden begins to give back in ways you never quite expect. Of course there are bowls of tomatoes waiting on the kitchen table, armfuls of herbs to gather and vegetables that somehow seem to appear overnight, but there is something else happening too. You begin to notice that very little in the garden is without purpose.

Tori is always busy in the greenhouse.

An arch of pumpkin joy.

That question has quietly transformed the way I garden. When I cut lavender now, I never think only about the flowers in bloom.

I think about the bundles drying in the shed, the little wreath that might hang on the kitchen door in winter, the handful saved for a relaxing evening tea, or the stems tucked into drawers months from now. Calendula becomes infused oils. Mint dries beautifully for tea. Rosemary fills the house with its scent long after it has been picked. The harvest doesn’t always end when the plant leaves the soil. The same is true for the garden itself.

Some of my favourite things in the garden have never been bought. A support made from pruned bay branches. Twine saved and used again. Old terracotta pots with years of wear on them. Weathered timber that has found another purpose.

None of it matches perfectly, but somehow that makes it feel even more beautiful. It feels honest.

I think that is what I love most about slow living. It gives you permission to stop chasing perfection and start appreciating character instead. Summer also reminds me that a garden should be experienced with every sense, not simply admired from a distance. I often find myself brushing my hands through the herbs as I walk past, simply because I enjoy the scent they leave behind. Lavender hums with bees. The warmth of the greenhouse carries the unmistakable smell of tomato vines.

Fresh mint releases its fragrance before you’ve even picked a leaf. These small moments ask nothing of us except that we notice them. Perhaps that is why gardening feels so restorative.

It gently encourages us to be present.

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Photo Credits: Tori Thomas

Living off the land has taught me that abundance is rarely about having more. It is about seeing more. One of the greatest lessons the garden has given me is that nature wastes almost nothing. A faded flower becomes seed. Fallen leaves become compost. Nettles become feed for the soil. Old raspberry canes become supports. Willow becomes weaving. What first appears to have reached the end of its life is often just beginning another. I often think we have drifted away from that way of thinking. We have become used to replacing rather than repairing, buying rather than making, throwing away rather than asking ourselves one simple question. “What else could this become?”

Photo Credits: Tori Thomas

When I first started growing my own food, I was focused almost entirely on the harvest. I measured success by how much I could pick and how much food I could carry back to the kitchen. Now, I find myself looking beyond that. I notice the flowers that will become dried arrangements long after summer has passed. I save seed heads for next year. I leave herbs to flower for the bees before cutting the stems to dry for winter teas. Even the plants that have finished producing often have another job to do.

By Tori Thomas @torisallotment

Never far from a harvest in Toris homestead.

Photo Credits: Tori Thomas

The same can be said for succession planting. Every time one crop finishes, another quietly begins. The garden never truly stands still.

A harvested bed isn’t the end of something; it is simply making space for what comes next. That way of thinking has changed not only how I garden, but how I approach life. Seasons end. Others begin. There is always another opportunity to sow again.

Living off the land has never been about producing the biggest harvest or becoming completely self-sufficient. For me, it has always been about learning to value what I already have. To waste less. To notice more. To trust that with a little care, creativity and patience, the garden will continue to provide in ways that reach far beyond food.

Photo Credits: Tori Thomas

Photo Credits: Tori Thomas

Living off the land has also made me think differently about water.

Once you have nurtured something from a tiny seed, every watering feels precious. I mulch wherever I can to hold moisture in the soil, collect rainwater whenever the weather allows and water deeply rather than little and often. Healthy soil does so much of the work for us if we look after it well enough. Compost, mulch and organic matter become quiet reservoirs, helping plants through dry periods without constant intervention. Looking after water is really another way of looking after the future.

Because perhaps that is the greatest lesson of all.

The richest gardens are not always the ones that produce the most.

They are the ones where nothing is taken for granted.

The greenhouse is bursting!

Garden Journeys

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Photo Credit: Marc Ridpath

What if I told you the best advice I could give you is to go and sit in your garden and do nothing. Sounds crazy right, we seem to of been conditioned in to thinking we should be productive at all times. If you sit and do nothing you are being lazy. How many of us sit in front of the television with our phones in our hands? It brings me back to the 00s advert with the tagline “The Devil makes work for idle thumbs” ironically I couldn’t actually remember what that was the advert for. I just searched and found out it was for a mobile phone network which makes it even more poignant.

I constantly think how do I not have more time, there are more and more gadgets and services that make life easier yet we seem busier than ever.

The problem therefore is the mindset that everything is accessible pretty much 24/7. We don’t have down time any more because we all By Marc Ridpath @gardeneriddler crave dopamine hits constantly from our phones.

The only time I am truly free is when I am in the garden working away.

Even more ironic, as I write for a digital magazine that is a side hustle, trying to tell you dear readers to spend more time in your garden doing absolutely nothing. I hope you forgive me.

The other day I was sat in the kitchen looking out at the trough water feature I have on my patio watching a small bird splashing in and out of the water trying to cool down from the hot summers day like the rest of us. This is one of the moments I am talking about that are so easy to miss if you don’t look up from your phone or actively seek out nature and wildlife.

Sitting here writing this article I am lounging in our outdoor sitting area we affectionately call Jabba. The reason for that is it was originally built during Covid out of reclaimed materials as a place for our inflatable hot tub, so it was the hot tub hut which then became Jabba the Hut which has stuck long after the hot tub stopped working.

Other than trying to block out the noisy traffic, I can hear so many birds chirping, I can see butterfly’s flying about my plants, all sorts of insects also moving about the place, I could honestly sit here for hours. I should probably be doing something more productive like watering or updating my pot display or sowing some seeds but I promise you they can all wait.

Photo Credits : Marc Ridpath

Adding details such as windchimes can make the space feel even more relaxing.

This water trough provides all the wildlife with a viatl water source.

Features

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Couldn’t you just spend all day here.

Photo Credits: Marc Ridpath

Hydrangea in bloom.

According to research, humans who have access to social media and smart phones have the attention span of 8 seconds.

It is absolutely incredible what information can you acquire in 8 seconds before you need the next hit of dopamine. We all need to start smart phones anonymous because we are all hooked.

How do you feel about being controlled by an algorithm? To have a point of comparison, in the 90s the average attention span was 2 and a half minutes, so in less than 30 years we have lost over 2 minutes of attention span. Even 2 and a half minutes still sounds short when I could literally spend hours in my veg garden pottering around.

So my challenge to you this month is to get out in your gardens and spend 10 minutes sitting and observing what is going on in you little piece of paradise, leave your phone inside reconnect with nature and get a hit of dopamine from seeing something that you have created a habitat for. Maybe next time you are watching Gardeners World go put your phone in another room so the devil doesn’t make work for your idle thumbs.

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Features

Buddleja.

Squash is a varied and versatile vegetable

Would you like to write for Garden Folk mag?

We are always looking for new writers to join the team, no experience needed and everyone is welcome.

If you have a story you would like to share or just want to try your hand at writing, get in touch and pop us an email

Get in touch

By Mel Heris

Photo Credits: Mel Heris

@bluebellandbumblebee

Creating a Creating a wildlife wildlife garden: garden: A monthly A monthly step-by-step step-by-step guide guide

July: The Height of Summer July is a month of warmth, long days, and abundance, both for us and for wildlife. But it also brings new challenges for our wildlife friends.

Water can become scarce, food sources may shift, and the heat can make shelter especially important, so our gardens become an essential refuge for all kinds of wildlife visitors.

After the careful preparation and growth of spring, July invites us to nurture and maintain the habitats we’ve created, ensuring our garden continues to support wildlife through the height of summer.

Nature's tiny pollinator

By creating a shallow drinking spot, you can provide a safe, reliable source of water for insects and other garden visitors to help them stay hydrated and healthy during the summer months.

What you’ll need A shallow dish, saucer, or bowl (wide and low works best)

Photo Credit: Mel Heris

This Month’s Wildlife Project: Creating a Drinking Spot for Insects and Other Garden Visitors

Small pebbles, stones, or gravel Fresh water Optional: a few flat stones for perching

Photo Credit: Mel Heris

Place the dish in a sunny but sheltered location, protected from strong winds and away from high foot traffic. A spot near flowering plants is ideal, as it makes it easy for pollinators to access both water and nectar.

Photo Credits: Stock Canva Images

Setting up the drinking spot

Keep the water fresh and topped up daily, especially during hot spells, to ensure it remains safe and clean.

Setting up the drinking spot

Photo Credit: Mel Heris

Fill the dish with water and arrange pebbles or small stones so insects can safely land and drink without drowning. The stones provide perching spots for bees, butterflies, and other small visitors.

Photo Credit: Stock Canva Image

Photo Credit: Mel Heris

Grab a dish and start making your own.

Check the dish regularly to ensure it hasn’t dried out or become clogged with debris.

If larger animals use the dish, consider adding a bigger drinking station for them next to it.

Keep watch for seeds popping.

Garden Projects

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Photo Credit: Mel Heris

Encourage use and observation Position the dish near flowering plants to attract pollinators.

Watch for visiting bees, butterflies, ladybirds, and other small creatures.

You can adjust the water level, stones, or location as needed based on which visitors come and how they use the spot.

Creating a simple drinking spot is a small but powerful way to support wildlife in your garden.

It provides essential hydration, a safe resting place, and helps your garden visitors thrive during the hottest months of the year.

Other monthly wildlife jobs: Keep water sources topped up Check bird baths, puddling spots, ponds, and your new insect drinking dish regularly to make sure they don’t dry out.

Continue supporting pollinators Deadhead flowers selectively to encourage more blooms, and consider planting late flowering species to provide nectar throughout summer and autumn.

Maintain shelters and habitats

The final project sitting amongst the flowers.

Check birdhouses, insect hotels, log piles, and hedges to ensure they remain secure, dry, and accessible. Avoid disturbing wildlife that may be resting or nesting.

Observe wildlife activity

Photo Credit: Mel Heris

With your drinking spot in place and other wildlife-friendly efforts ongoing, birds, insects, and small creatures have the resources they need to thrive during the hottest months of the year.

Every small action you take, from topping up water to leaving undisturbed corners, helps create a thriving sanctuary for wildlife througout the entire year.

Up close and personal with your widlife friends.

Happy wildlife gardening, and see you all next month!

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Take note of which species are visiting, which areas they favour, and anything else you notice. This will help guide future wildlife garden projects.

Provide safe resting spots Leave some areas of the garden slightly wild, with undisturbed corners, leaf litter, or small piles of twigs for insects, amphibians, and other small creatures to shelter in.

Mid season madness!

Busy at the Hive

Busy honey bees returning home

Photo Credits: Laura Whiskens

Photo Credits: Annette Hurt

July has arrived and our honey bee colonies are at their peak – the colonies have swollen to up to 60 thousand bees in each hive, honey production is at its highest and the bees are content, with long days of foraging from summer gardens and wild flowers.

As a beekeeper, I can’t relax just yet despite the main reproduction swarming period slowing down, as there’s still plenty to do. Weekly inspections, frame and equipment building, honey harvesting and nucleus (nuc) colony production are still keeping me busy, along with mentoring a couple of new local beekeepers, looking after the community bees, and the occasional swarm collection.

Photo Credits: Annette Hurt

With the beehives packed and spilling with bees, my inspections take a little longer. At this time of year we need to ensure the queen has space to lay her 1000 eggs a day, there’s room for all the bees in the hive, and that the colony continues to be healthy and free from pests and invaders.

The first obstacle of inspecting a hive is to get past the sticky propolis barrier, the bees use glue the hive parts together. Propolis is an amazing substance, made from a mixture of principally plant resins and beeswax, and full of healing properties often harnessed by herbalists and traditional Chinese medicine practitioners. This incredible byproduct is used by the bees to help seal and protect the hive from the heat, disease, insects and possibly, Beekeepers!

If the queen is present but with no space to lay, and there are queen cells are being built, the bees may need more space, and then either another brood box or more honey supers are added to give them room. Any queen cells are removed, which the bees are incredibly good at hiding,and a late swarm can be avoided. Equipment such as supers, brood boxes, and frames are starting to run out so there’s often an inevitable rush to get these made before the bees decide to find their own space somewhere else. Our final honey harvest of the year is ready and we learn just how much both ours and our bees’ hard work has paid off.

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@mypatchofnorfolk

A honey bee swarm resting in a tree before moving to a new home.

Annette has been busy checking on the hives.

Photo Credits: Annette Hurt

Once the hive is opened we check for the Queen’s presence, which can be remarkably difficult in a hive of 60,000 bees. The sight of newly laid eggs shows I don’t have to rely purely on spotting her Majesty who can be a mistress of concealment.

By Annette Hurt

Photo Credits: Annette Hurt

Fresh beeswax comb built by worker bees

A beekeepers job is never done.

Photo Credits: Annette Hurt

My Beekeeping Experiences are in full flow. It’s rewarding to have small groups of people, whether potential beekeepers or just coming for the experience, arrive, full of anticipation, sometimes slightly anxious, to learn about the amazing world of honey bees. We start with some theory, then the experience continues with getting dressed up in Beekeeping suits, opening a bee hive and handling a few frames of bees. There’s usually lots of ‘Ooh’s and ‘Ahs’, and ‘Wows’ as we discuss what we’re seeing, and a Queen based game of Wheres Wally is played. Afterwards, we return to my classroom where we do some honey tasting, and its great to see how relaxed and chilled everyone is after being with the Thebees. oil seed rape is a brilliant nectar source.

Garden Projects

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During those summer barbeques, why not try a honey based ‘Bees Knees’ cocktail,

The Bees The Bees Knees Knees

Make the honey syrup by mixing equal parts of pure honey and warm water until the honey has dissolves.

Photo Credits: Annette Hurt

50ml Dry gin, 25ml lemon juice 15ml of honey syrup – equal parts of honey and warm water Ice cubes Lemon twists for garnish

In a cocktail shaker, add the gin, lemon juice and honey syrup. Fill the shaker with ice and shake well for 10-15 seconds until the outside of the shaker is thoroughly chilled.

Strain into a martini glass without the ice and garnish with a lemon twist.

For a spicier twist, replace the normal honey with hot honey.

You can make your own hot honey by adding chilli flakes to your favourite beekeepers honey.

Leave to infuse for a few days until the heat is to your taste. Remove chillies completely once you are happy with the flavour. If using fresh chillies, this will lead to a chilli honey ferment.

You will need to leave to chillies in the honey and open the lid each day for about 5 days to let any bubbles to escape. Once it has stopped popping when you open the jar, the ferment is ready, and is stable. Remove the chillies if it is to your taste or leave to infuse for a more punchy kick!

By Shona Price @starof_72

Blooming Good Recipes If you joined in with last year’s Garden Folk Magazine growalong, then the chances are that you’re growing the stars of this month’s recipes already. That’s because they are all prolific self-seeding edible flowers.

Photo Credits: Shona Price

This month I’m giving you not 1, not 2, but 3 super simple ways to enjoy those flowers.

Vegan Elderflower and Borage Honey You will need: Borage flowers – as many as you can gather 900ml Elderflower cordial (or apple juice) 800g sugar 2 tbsp lemon Rinse the borage flowers gently and place in a heat safe jar.

In a heavy bottomed saucepan add the elderflower cordial, sugar and lemon juice and bring to a rolling boil over a medium heat. Turn the mixture down and simmer gently for 35-40 minutes. The mixture will darken and reduce in volume.

Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes then pour over the borage flowers into the jar. Leave to infuse for 24-48 hours.

Strain out the flowers back into the heavy bottomed pan and bring back to the boil. Turn down and simmer for a further 20 minutes. Whilst the honey is simmering sterilise your jars.

Once the honey has simmered for 20 minutes, turn off the heat and let it cool for 10 minutes. Pout the honey into the sterilised jars.

The honey will be runnier than honey you get from bees, however it will thicken up in the fridge where it should be kept if you are not going to vacuum seal using a water bath. In the fridge it will keep for up to 6 months. If you vacuum seal the jars it will keep for a year if stored in a cool dark place. Once opened each jar should be stored in the fridge. This recipe will make approximately 6 jars of honey.

The honey can be used to sweeten the summer tea or used in the same way you would use bee honey.

For this recipe I used homemade elderflower cordial, I have not included the recipe for this as at the time of publication the window for collecting and processing elderflowers will have passed. If you have not made, or have finished, any elderflower cordial then you can substitute it with cloudy apple juice.

Who is desperate to try this!

Nasturtium Salt The simplest of recipes gives you the tastiest of seasonings.

This requires just 2 ingredients (the clue is in the name of the recipe!).

Once the flowers are totally dry then crush them with a pestle and mortar. Add the same amount of salt to the bowl as there is nasturtium powder and you have got yourself a delicious seasoning that goes great with fish, chicken or vegetables.

Kept in an airtight jar this will keep for several months in a cool dry place, though you will probably use it all up before then.

Photo Credits: Shona Price

Gather up some nasturtium flowers and dry them until crispy. This can be done in a dehydrator, your oven, an air fryer or by just leaving them out to air dry.

Summer Garden Tea Another super simple recipe, this time using calendula flowers.

In a cafetiere add some strawberries, mint, orange and calendula flowers. Top with water and leave in the sun to infuse for 4-6 hours. Once infused plunge the cafetiere down and pour the infused water over ice for a delicious, refreshing drink. If you don’t have a cafetiere, then any jug or jar with a lid will do, just pour the liquid through a sieve before serving.

You can also dry calendula flowers to use in tea.

I’ve mixed them with rose petals, lemon balm, chamomile and strawberries, all from the garden and dried. This mix can be used long after the summer harvests have passed if kept in an airtight container.

The perfect Summer drink.

Photo Credits: Kim O’Brien

The Dumping Ground Garden a journey of transformation

‘You’re not going to post that online are you?’ My friend reacted to the sharing of my garden makeover with horror. ‘I mean.. share the after once it’s done’ she advised, ‘but the before … it’s pretty awful.’ I love her to pieces but she’s kind of missed the point. The mess is not a result of laziness or shame, it’s the product of 3 years of channelling creative energy into intensive projects elsewhere. But now it’s time to reclaim the space and clear the clutter.

Get ready for a transformation.

This is the dumping ground garden. You can appreciate there is a certain irony when the space of a professional gardener descends into a chaotic, overgrown mess! This garden used to be in good shape, but two showcase gardens and a BBC Gardeners World feature garden later it’s suffered from some serious neglect, and I’m on a mission to turn that around.

Photo Credits: Kim O’Brien

Gardening is not simply a hobby for me; it is my profession and my passion. By day, I’m the Head Gardener of an RHS-funded community garden in Cambridgeshire, also caring for the private gardens of two countryside estates. Yet somehow, amidst all of this horticultural activity, certain areas of my own garden have silently suffered...

Freshly painted and ready for magic.

By Kim O’Brien @garden.with.kim

The black screens look amazing.

Towards the back of my property, there is a paved, elevated area accessed by steps, and affectionately referred to as ‘The Terrace’. This modest space, measuring roughly 5m x 4m, is actually an area of hard standing for a motor home or caravan, and what began as a temporary holding area for spare pots, surplus plants and leftover materials from show gardens, gradually evolved into a permanent dumping ground of doom. Broken containers sat where they were dropped, bags of compost lingered long after projects had finished, and this corner collected the kind of detritus that is borne from a lack of time and motivation to tackle it. Far from being a space to enjoy, the terrace has morphed into a storage area of clutter which was stressing me out; but with a south-west facing aspect it offers real promise for growing cut flowers, and I couldn’t ignore its amazing potential forever.

The makeover began with a ruthless clear out. 3 years of accumulated clutter was removed, recycled or repurposed.

Once the bones of the garden were visible again, I started planning properly. The fence, which was looking tired and shabby was repainted, and the paving swept to clear the remaining soil and debris. We introduced large metal screens with a modern banana leaf design to create a dramatic backdrop and fixed them into place in the ground and along the fence to stabilize them. Large containers from elsewhere in the garden were used to pot up 4 silver birch and an olive tree which had lived previous incarnations in my show gardens, and had been surviving (just!) in their nursery pots for around 3 years. A larger pot, with fresh compost and some nourishing feed has boosted them all, and topping off the pots with a mulch of crushed shells kindly gifted by @shellonearth has made them beautiful and moisture retentive during hot spells.

Garden Projects

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Photo Credits: Kim O’Brien

Proving that any space can be transformed.

The moss balls were so perfect

4 new metal raised beds, were planted up using gifted @plantgrowuk multipurpose compost, and unapologetically stuffed to their limit with a colourful combination of dahlias and annuals.

Deliberately over-planted; the vision is beds that overflow with blooms; and the plants can be thinned if they are fighting for space at a later date.

Natural bird boxes.

Frustratingly I’ve had to stop there. There’s still lots to do and I have really big plans for this area, but I’m hitting the pause button for an adventure at BBC Gardener’s World Live, where I’m all set to assess the cut flower, mushroom and vegetable exhibits; deliver stage talks; AND execute what’s possibly the most important floristry gig I’ve EVER had! Inevitably my attention will be elsewhere for a couple of weeks.

One thing I’ve realised from this new garden project is that the most rewarding experience in garden design is not a temporary show garden built for judges and public display, but the restoration of a neglected space outside your own back door; and here in the dumping ground garden the most exciting developments are yet to come. Although unfinished, I now have a space I’m enjoying again, so bring on the long sultry days, the sun loungers, the BBQ’s and the spritzers! Happy summer and happy gardening, Love Kim Keep your eyes peeled next month for an update on the space.

Plantago major used as a feature plant.

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Garden Projects

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Gardening in July July so far may feel more like a battle against the heat and a desperate attempt to keep things alive than a gentle summer potter among the flowers, but if you have the energy for any gardening beyond maintaining survival, there is plenty to be done.

Things to sow

Jobs to do

Flowers Delphiniums Aquilegia Echinacea Sweet Williams Foxgloves Wall Flowers Calendula

Whether the weather be sunny or not, get out into the garden and let it work it’s magic.

Edibles Rocket Pak choi Runner beans French beans Coriander Beetroot Spring cabbage Oriental Greens Sugar Snap Peas Nantes style Carrots Parsley

Come and join the @gardenfolkmag team for live garden updates throughout the month over on Instagram.

Hot dry days are perfect for hoeing and weeding as the roots will shrivel up on the surface.

Dead head- pic off spent flowers to encourage the plant to produce more and keeep your garden looking spectacular.

Check or install water collection equipmentthe rain will likely return with gousto very soon!

Water at dusk or dawn to avoid excessive evaporation.

Ventilate- remember to open window and doors of greenhouses, polytunnels and conservatories on hot days.

Stake tall perennials

Direct sow some extra salad.

What to listen to while you sow: The gardening podcast that helps you master your own garden. With new episodes weekly packed full of gardening tips, how to garden guides, interviews with gardening experts on many gardening topics and just about anything that will help you in your garden whether you are a new or a seasoned gardener.

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This Month

Clear pond weed regularly but leacve it on the side of the pond so creatures can escape.

Baskets and pots may need watering more than once on really hot days.

Cut back hardy geraniums nad delhiniums to encourage further flowers later in the summer.

Invite a friend round to enjoy your garden- or visit theirs.

Give hungry plants and those growing in pots a liquid seaweed feed.

If you’re in need of Garden related ‘stuff’ remember that Garden Folk Supporters get some amazing discounts with some great companies!

Issue 41 l July l 2026

Set the date for August 7th for the next issue

Keeping the Community Inspired