Published: 25 June 2025
July is one of my favourite months in the garden here at Holker. Everything’s in full swing—the borders are buzzing, the roses are glowing, and the whole place feels alive with colour, scent, and movement. If you’re planning a visit this month, here are some of the highlights I think you shouldn’t miss.
Sunken Garden: Roses in Full Glory
The Sunken Garden, originally designed by Thomas Mawson, is a special place at this time of year. Originally designed as a Rose Garden, we have changed the planting to include herbaceous perennials. However, it is the roses that steal the show in July. You’ll see Rosa ‘Mary Delaney’ and Rosa ‘Wollerton Old Hall’ flowering beautifully – they are modern repeat flowering roses that give a good display if we keep on top of deadheading.
In the borders, Aconitum, Dahlias and Salvias take over from the phlox and geranium to give us colour through to late Summer.
Meadow & Woodland Walks
One of the joys of Holker is how the formal gardens ease so naturally into wilder spaces. The meadow is starting to set seed, with swathes of native grasses managed by the parasitic plant yellow rattle. If you follow the one of many paths through the woodland gardens, you’ll find our extensive collection of Eucryphias in full flower. If you’re here on a sunny day you can hear the tree before you see it as thousands of bees gorge on the nectar from the flowers.
Summer Garden Borders Bursting with Colour
The herbaceous borders are full to bursting by mid-July. Expect to see tall Chelone, Phlox, Dahlias, and a whole cast of other summer perennials. I particularly enjoy seeing Dahlia ‘Otto’s Thrill’ with its dinner-plate sized pink flowers.
Look out also for the variety of Salvias we use to add late summer colour. Planted here are Salvia involucrata, ‘Nachtvlinder’ and ‘Magenta Magic’.
Gardening Tips from the Beds
July is a busy month for us gardeners. If you’re working on your own space at home, my top advice is to keep deadheading—roses and dahlias in particular—to keep the display going. Mulching your borders in winter helps keep the weeds down and adds nutrients for summer, and don’t forget to stake those taller plants. A summer storm can flatten a Delphinium in seconds!
Back in May we did what the RHS calls the “Chelsea chop” on fast growing perennials like geraniums or Nepeta—cutting some of the growth back now can give you a staggered, longer-lasting show into autumn.
A July Stroll at Holker
If you’re visiting in July, I’d suggest starting in the Summer Garden, seeing our colourful summer bedding around the formal lawns, and then making your way through the wildflower meadow into the wider gardens. The borders are an absolute must, and of course, I always recommend finding a quiet bench to sit and take it all in. This is a garden designed to be experienced slowly.
We’d love to see you at Holker this summer. July is a month of abundance here, and it’s a joy to share it with visitors who love plants and trees as much as we do.
Warm wishes, Matthew Murgatroyd. Head Gardener, Holker Hall & Gardens