Paul Gargan“Spring being a tough act to follow, God created June.” (Al Bernstein)
The weather in June hopefully will be improving all the time, so there is a lot to keep on top of, but also now that it is possible to do so, make sure to sit down in your garden and enjoy the fruits of your hard work earlier in the year.
With shrubs and perennials growing fast and filling borders, annual weeds are less of a problem, but do keep on top of perennial weeds such as bindweed. They can quickly take over your border. You can dig them out, but you need to get every piece of their root or else they will return. There are now glyphosate-based weedkillers that come out of an applicator in a gel form. These are much easier and very effective to use.
Cut back and tidy up perennials such as alyssum, aubrieta and arabis. Just a light trim with hedgeclippers will do. When oriental poppies have finished flowering, cut them back hard. This not only frees up space, it also may encourage a second flush of flower later in the year.
Remove faded flowers from camellias. Pinch out dead flower heads from rhododendrons, taking care not to damage the shoots. Watch out for bud blast, this will have left some blackened flower buds which are now covered in white fur. Snap them off and destroy them.
Hanging baskets
It’s now time to put out hanging baskets, window boxes, tubs and planters filled with summer bedding. They can be planted up earlier but must be stored in a frost free glasshouse or tunnel. Bedding is a term used to describe the plants that are put in to create an effect over a particular season, but are not a permanent feature in the garden. Most are annuals which are killed off by frost so can’t be left out through the year.
When buying, choose plants that are short-jointed and sturdy, and with foliage of a good dark green. If stems are thin and drawn it shows the plant has been weakened by too much heat or too little light Before planting soak both your compost and the plant. Plant in a hole big enough to take the rootball and then gently squeeze the compost to make sure there is contact with the plant’s roots.
When first planted in fresh compost they don’t need feeding for 3-4 weeks as there should be food in the compost. As the weather is not that hot, watering needs to only be done every 2-3 days, but they will need to be checked every day. The compost should feel slightly moist not dry. As the summer heats up they will need more water, probably every day.