If like me you have used loads of herbs over the last couple of months your plants could be looking a little wilted or even threadbare. If you have not been tempted to overuse them, then now can be a good time to take cuttings. Woody herbs like Rosemary, Thyme and Sage go mad in July and produce loads of great new shoots.

If you are new to taking cutting don’t worry because these herbs are really easy. Fill a pot with a good potting compost and take cuttings from the shot tips about 4 inches long. Remove the bottom leaves and dip the cut end into organic rooting powder. You can fit about 4 or five cuttings into a 5 inch pot, then water well. Place these cuttings in your cold frame or greenhouse and after about seven weeks the cuttings should have established themselves enough to be transplanted into individual pots.

The RHS Show at Tatton Park is taking place this year between the 22nd and 26th of July. The show is always exceptionally produced and hence is the highlight of many gardeners year.

This year there are a wide range of inspirational garden ideas on show including classic designs, contemporary designs and visionary designs. There are also the usual magnificent marquee displays which are bound to astound and impress the visitors.

This year, the show will also feature for the first time at Tatton Park the ‘Summer Fruit and Vegetable Competition’. The competition is available to enter by everybody, so if you think your vegetables or fruit have got what it takes to beat off the competition why not have a go at entering.

The show takes place over five days and is a great day out for with your family and friends. Many people choose to take a picnic with them on the day, but if you are not organised there are food stalls selling quality home produced products and various vending machines around the site so you can grab a snack on the go.

There are many stalls where you can buy plants and accessories for your garden. So make sure you take your bank cards with you, you won’t be able to resist the tantalising offers.

July is one of the best times of the year regarding the amount of crops that are ready to be harvested. The strawberries will just be finishing but the raspberries will be in full swing and blackberries are just around the corner.

The first courgettes will need picking whilst they are young and ripe and don’t forget to use the flowers as they are great stuffed with soft cheese and lightly battered. Early potatoes will feature heavily now on your menu and when mixed with some spring onions, chopped parsley and home made mayonnaise they are great a potato salad.

All your the leaf vegetables will now be big enough to pick such as wild rocket, and cut and come again lettuces. The more you cut them the more tender new growth you will get.

Don’t forget to use all the veg whilst it is young and tender. The taste will be much better than you get in supermarkets.

Many allotment holders are now choosing to grow their vegetables in raised beds. This is quite a new phenomenon and has many advantages and disadvantages. Discussed below are a few points that need consideration.

Advantages

Raised beds are in essence low maintenance; they can be weeded quickly and easily. You also have clearly defined boundaries for your crops meaning forward planning and hence crop rotation can be much easier. If they are raised sufficiently, people who have difficulty bending can work the beds meaning no more bad backs.

Disadvantages

They can be quite free draining so may need to be watered more regularly. They also restrict the amount of area you can grow vegetables on your plot. This will of course mean that you will have less produce. This may however not be a bad thing if you have difficulty looking after your plot. You will have to provide some sort of paths between the beds which can of course cost money; otherwise the weeds may take hold.

The Hampden Court Palace flower show will take place this year from the 7th to the 12th of July. And with something on offer for everyone it is a must visit in any gardener’s calendar. The show will feature sections on show gardens, small gardens and conceptual gardens and with the magnificent displays on offer from some of the UK’s top growers in the Floral marquee and Tudor Rose festival marquee (in honour of Henry VIII’ s coronation) the show promises to be bigger than ever.

Tickets are priced at £27 for a full day (10am entry) and £17 for a half day (3pm entry). So to get some great ideas for your garden or to just spend a fantastic day out make sure you pencil the date into your diary.