With reports that temperatures could reach a jaw-dropping 35°C today in some parts of the country, July is certainly off to a scorching start.
As the nation experiences sizzling sunshine, Britons will likely be enjoying their gardens more than ever - so let's make sure it's time well-spent.
According to green-thumbed Jamie Shipley, managing director of Hedges Direct, July is the perfect time to plough on with key gardening tasks for a beautiful space this summer and beyond. Among other tips, she advised others to get ahead of the game by planting autumn-flowering bulbs like pretty-in-pink nerine.
Jamie told GB News: "There are plenty of gardening jobs to get done during July. Weeding, deadheading, and tying in will help plants look their best, plus being on the lookout for pests and keeping sustainability in mind when it comes to watering and mowing.
"Looking ahead, now is also the time to propagate certain plants as well as get autumn-flowering bulbs in the ground.
"It's also important to look out for precious garden wildlife through the warmer, drier months."
In light of this, Jamie advised fellow green-thumbed Britons to tie in climbers and ramblers, explaining: "All your vertically growing plants that use a support (including climbers, ramblers, trained fruit, and immature wall shrubs) will benefit from having young growth tied in regularly at this time of year.
"I recommend using a biodegradable garden twine, knotted first around the support and then loosely around the stem."
Nerines 'love a sun-baked spot at the base of a sunny wall'
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Next, the expert advised gardening enthusiasts to deadhead their flowers, stating: "For many flowering plants, this removal of spent flowers before they set seed will trigger the production of further blooms.
"It's an effective way of boosting colour in your garden during the summer. July-flowering plants which respond well to deadheading include rose, sweet pea, phlox, marigold, and dahlia."
Thinking ahead, July is also "an ideal moment" to plant autumn-flowering bulbs, which are dormant at this time of year.
Jamie recommended nerine (pink in colour with "delicate, wavy-edged petals"), stating: "These flowers love a sun-baked spot at the base of a sunny wall."
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Gardeners should use July to mow the lawn, ensuring they raise the cutting height
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She also suggested planting autumn crocus (goblet-shaped flowers, usually in shades of purple, pink or white), which "enjoy a sunny spot where the soil dries out in summer".
Green-thumbed Britons may also wish to plant sternbergia, crocus-like flowers in bright, golden yellow that "prefer light, chalky soils and a dry summer dormancy".
Planting autumn cyclamen should also be on your July gardening to-do list, according to Jamie. These small pink, white, and purple flowers appear after the first rains of late summer. The expert said: "They enjoy sun or light shade and a humus-rich soil."
Finally, colchicum, which resembles super-sized crocus flowers, in pink, white, and purple, should be planted this month, "preferring a deep, fertile soil and full sun".
For last-minute garden success, Jamie encouraged Britons to sow biennials now, stressing that "July is your last chance".
Biennials (plants which grow leaves in their first year, then flower and die in their second year) can be sown now for flowering next year.
Biennial seeds to be sown now include angelica, digitalis, verbascum, honesty, teasel, and stocks.
Furthermore, the gardening guru advised topping up your bird baths this month. She explained: "In the summer, small birds can find it a challenge to find water for drinking and bathing, particularly in built-up areas.
"Bathing is an essential part of their feather maintenance. If you have a bird bath, keep it topped up at this time of year."
Finally, gardeners should use July to mow the lawn, ensuring they raise the cutting height, though.
"Grass sends its roots further down into the ground when left to grow longer, making it more drought tolerant and less likely to turn brown during heatwaves," Jamie concluded.
June gardening tasks all ticked off? Check here.