Thing to do in July

July is the month when most roses are pruned, although there are some exceptions. For example, it’s not yet time to prune those roses that have one single massed flowering in spring. This group includes some of the old-fashioned roses, as well as banksias and many weeping standards, all of which should be pruned after flowering. Most climbing roses, too, should be left until after blooming before you think about cutting them back. And, in cold districts, you might like to wait until later and prune when there’s no risk of new growth being damaged by frost.