Gardening – June 24

Tom Strowlger

@garden_with_tom

We are in June, the month us gardeners enjoy sunny, warm and long days in our gardens. June is the halfway point of the gardening calendar, to now we have seen the garden progress from a state of dormancy to a colourful and lush green space. The garden is at its lush green peak and although a gardener’s work is never really finished we should not feel guilty for putting down our garden tools and simply enjoying the garden.

We should get amongst our plants and flowers as much as we can, being outside is both good for our wellbeing and allows us to spot any jobs to maintain and improve the beds and borders. We may notice that floral arrangements are getting overcrowded, if so we can thin them out and put the flower cuttings into a vase for indoor arrangements.

The lawn grass will be growing quickly if the weather is rainy and warm and slower if the weather is hot and dry. If the grass is growing quickly and is lush green, then we can cut it once per week. During very hot and dry spells grass can become straw like so we should cut the grass less often and on the highest setting to reduce stress and the risk of disease. We should also trim the edges of our lawns to keep them looking neat and tidy.

We can encourage bees and butterflies into the garden by letting a patch of grass grow to its natural height. If we want to create our own wildlife area in the garden, whatever the size, then we can choose a space to be a natural patch. The position should ideally be at the back of the garden and in part shade, this will encourage wildlife into the patch and prevent too much disturbance whilst enjoying the garden.

If entering the summer planting a little late then don’t worry we can still plant out nursery grown Begonia, Petunia, Aster, Salvia, Rudbeckia, Zinnia, Verbena, Dephinium, Pansy, Geranium, Lobelia and Thunbergia. Once planted into your borders, beds, pots and tubs the established plugs will grow bigger and give you a summer of bright floral colour. We must remember to regularly water our plants and flowers to get the very best displays from them.

The rose flowering season is here and many will have had a first bloom in late spring continuing into early summer. We should deadhead the faded and spent rose flowers by pinching and pruning to ensure the plants energy is preserved for future buds and blooms. We need to look out for Aphids amongst the new growth and ideally remove them with a soapy spray or the gentle stroke of a clean and unused soft paintbrush.

June is a superb month to take a step back from the gardening jobs and admire what we have created so far, whilst also taking note of what we want to see in the garden next summertime. The sun never completely sets on our gardening jobs and projects but whilst the sun is shining we really should choose a peaceful spot for our deckchair.