June in Full Bloom: How to Make the Most of Your Garden This Month

By Alicia Paaso - Gardenscape Sales Team/RHS Level 2 Horticulturalist

June is a fantastic month for gardening! It’s the time when the weather is warm, and gardens are colourful. If the weather is on our side, June is the ideal time for spending time outdoors, enjoying your greenspace in the sun. Most of the preparations for summer have been done in the earlier months this year, leaving plenty of time to relax this month. June 21^st is the longest day of the year, so in June you will have more daylight than any other month to enjoy your garden as much as possible.

Pest Control

There are plenty of benefits this time of the year including the warmer weather and longer days, but summer is also the peak season for insects and pests. Protect your fruit crops with fleece to prevent damage from insects. In June vine weevil larvae become active. Therefore, if you have experienced issues with vine weevils in your garden previously, treat pots with biological control using nematodes.

 Aphids are a natural part of a healthy biodiverse garden, although in large numbers they can be hard to tolerate. Aphids can spread plant viruses, cause less vigorous growth and cause mould due to the honeydew they leave on the plants. Remove them by hand where possible, and if that doesn’t work; spray them with water or a soap solution.

 Most people with a garden have probably at some point experienced slugs damaging their plants. Hostas, seedlings, leafy vegetables, and annual bedding plants are especially susceptible to slug damage. The best time to pick slugs in your garden is two hours after dusk as that is when they are most active making them easy to spot. It is important to provide habitats like hedges and shrubs for birds as they are natural predators which will help control the slug populations. You can also add protection by creating barriers around the plants by using sawdust, coffee grounds, copper rings, or horticultural grit.

Edible Planting

With the risk of frost completely gone, tender plants no longer need protection and can therefore be planted outside. Plant and take care of your existing crops to ensure that you have delicious home-grown fruit and veg for your meals this summer. Fast-growing herbs like coriander, parsley, and basil can be planted directly into the soil or indoors. Grow them in pots on your windowsill in the kitchen or try growing them in a hanging basket outside for a pretty display. Salads, beetroot, broccoli, and radishes are some of the vegetables that you can grow directly in the soil outside in June. Gherkins and cucumbers can be grown in pots in your greenhouse. Pinch out the side shoots for your cordon tomatoes regularly when watering as leaving them will reduce your yield. Support your tall plants with stakes if necessary to prevent them from collapsing. Apply mulch around your vegetables, fruit trees, and shrubs for water retention to prevent the soil from drying out in warm weather.

Flowers

One of the best things about June are all the spectacular flowers and colours in the gardens. One of my personal favourites is Sweet Peas as they come in a wide variety of colours, and they have a lovely sweet floral fragrance. They make pretty cut flowers and cutting them encourages new flower growth! Sunflowers grow quickly, and some varieties can reach up to 3 metres in height. They are very easy seeds to sow, so they are ideal for children to grow as a fun family activity. To prepare for late summer you can sow Nigella seeds on your borders for gorgeous blue flowers in July to August. Simply sow the large seeds where you would like them to grow and cover them with about 1cm of soil.

Hanging baskets and Containers

Planting hanging baskets and container displays are a nice addition to your garden in summer providing seasonal bright colours. Use a mixture of annual bedding plants, evergreens, and perennials. Fill the containers and hanging baskets with a good quality compost that has got a high-water holding capacity such as multipurpose compost, or a mix of coir and peat free compost. You can also add a slow-release fertiliser to the displays, so they are thriving for a longer period. Some plant examples to use in your planters/hanging baskets are geraniums, petunias, lavender, calibrachoa, helichrysum, brachyscome, Creeping Jenny, sutera, and fuchsia. Using different textures, colours and foliage creates an aesthetic design. The benefit of using perennials is that once you are done with the display, you can simply remove the plants and plant them elsewhere. Strawberries grow well in hanging baskets as well. Remember to regularly water, especially during hot days.

Enjoy your June Gardening!