by Justine Hutchinson
June has arrived! ‘time of perfect young summer’ according to the doyenne of gardening, Gertrude Jekyll.
While the weather so far has been rather a damp squib, the recent wet has meant everything is looking lush and green, and the roses are smothered in blossom and smelling wonderful. But now we’ve stopped to smell the roses, there are things to be getting on with in the garden!
Seed Sowing and Growing
It’s time to direct sow brassicas and leeks for winter cropping, and do continue with your succession sowing of summer cut-and-come-again salads, carrots, radishes and beets.
You can also start off biennials (flowers that have a two year cycle) ready for next year’s cutting patch. Ammi majus (bishop’s flower), digitalis (foxglove), lunaria (honesty), and the prodigious erysimum (wallflower) are all invaluable additions to vase and garden, and if you sow them now you’ll give them enough time to germinate and establish healthy root systems before winter arrives. This may seem a rather long-winded process, but your future self will thank you: biennials sown the season before have a much greater chance of success and often produce many more blooms than those sown in early spring for same year flowering.
Hardy annuals which have been direct sown need to be thinned out at this point. Do be brutal! Most of them benefit from being 12” (30cm) apart: the additional space means better root and foliage development, and stronger, happier plants.
Pruning
Be vigorous with your rose deadheading. The more you snip (to a healthy leaf node below the spent head), the more you’ll encourage additional flowers.
Oriental poppies will be finishing their display sometime around now. Cut everything – including all foliage – down to the ground, and give them a feed and water. New foliage will grow back in no time.
Spring-flowering perennials such as pulmonarias and aquilegias will be looking tired and a little mildew-y come June. Again, cut back all foliage, lift and split overly large clumps, replant and feed (try organic chicken manure pellets for an eco-friendly option).
Spent delphiniums should be pruned now, too, leaves and all. This will encourage a second flush of blooms later in the summer.
Fast-growing evergreen hedges – privet, cotoneaster etc – need to be clipped up to three times a year, so give yours a tidy up if needed.
Pinch out dahlias once they are around 8” / 20cm tall. With a sharp, clean pair of secateurs, cut off the top 3 inches of each stem to just above a set of leaves. This will encourage sturdier plants in the months to come. Take out completely any weaker stems. As a rule, each dahlia clump should be restricted to a maximum of 4 or 5 healthy growing stems to ensure the best crop of flowers.
Annuals with branching forms also benefit from pinching: calendula, cosmos, antirrhinum and zinnia to name but a few. However, don’t pinch stems of annuals that produce only one flower per plant, such as single-stemmed helianthus.
Pinch out side shoots of your cordon tomatoes now, too.
Other Jobs
From June onwards, water, water, water newly planted perennials and shrubs. As a rule, larger plants (3 litre pot size and up) in their first season should have around one watering can of water per plant at least 3 times a week. To help keep in the moisture further, ensure your soil is well mulched with something like bark chippings. A mulch will also keep some of the weeds at bay. One of the primary reasons for failed planting schemes is lack of water, particularly during a very hot summer.
Tie in rambling and climbing roses, and keep staking and tying in foxgloves, delphs and gladioli. Consider introducing metal flower rings into your borders to help support perennials with a tendency to flop, such as taller hardy geraniums and peonies.
Take cuttings of lavender now. Select healthy, non-flowering side shoots around 4” / 10cm long, ensuring they have a small amount of bark or woody bit at the base. Remove the shoots with a sharp pruning knife so they come away with a thin strip of that bark (the heel). If your cuttings don’t have a heel, trim the bottom at an angle just below a leaf joint. Cut away all lower leaves so that you have around 1.5” of bare stem. Fill a pot with potting soil mixed with some sharp sand. Dip the lavender stems in water, then in some rooting powder and insert them around the edge of the pot. Water, and place in a warm, sunny position. Ensure the soil remains moist (but not wet) and the cuttings should take root in around 6 weeks. Plant on once they are sufficiently rooted.
Have fun in the garden, Everyone!
