By Alicia Paaso - Gardenscape Sales Team/RHS Level 2 Horticulturalist
Summer has finally arrived! With everything growing there are lots of gardening jobs to keep you busy. We’ve had some rainy days the past week, but hopefully there will be some warm and sunny days ahead for gardening. June is a great month to use your creativity by planting up hanging basket and container displays. Take a look below at some ways to make the most of your gardening this month!
In June, many will plant up their annual bedding displays for summer. Annual bedding plants can make a great addition to your garden by adding colour and filling in gaps which protects the soil structure. The summer months allow you to grow a wide variety of tender plants which should last all summer if maintained well. If you have been growing tender annuals such as marigolds, zinnias and cosmos inside from seed, it is now a good time to start hardening them off before planting out. If you haven’t been growing your own, it is a great excuse for a trip to your local plant nursery to get some!
Hanging basket and container planting are ideal for adding seasonal colour to your garden. Due to their versatility, they are ideal for gardens of any size.
Combine different types of annuals, evergreens and perennials, with complementary or contrasting colours and foliage for beautiful displays. By choosing to incorporate hardy perennials, such as heucheras, they can be planted out in your garden by the end of the season. Check your containers and hanging baskets daily to ensure that they don’t dry out to wilting point. Early morning and evening are the best times for watering. Water twice a day during the hottest days.
It is vital for plants to have enough water available for growth, especially thirsty crops like lettuce and container grown plants during hot days. A thick layer of bark or compost mulch will help to retain soil moisture and protect the soil structure. Cockleshells are a unique and popular option to use as a mulch. They are eye-catching and slug-repellent as a bonus!
Our John-Innes Enriched multipurpose compost is ideal for container planting and pots. It contains all the essential nutrients for healthy plant growth. This compost has a high water-holding capacity from the peat, as well as an added wetting agent to prevent the compost from drying out, ideal for any dry spells this summer. Alternatively, try one of our peat-free options for an environmentally sustainable approach.
Edible gardening is really speeding up this month with crops like lettuces and early potatoes ready for harvest. For your tomato plants to grow plenty of delicious tomatoes they will need to use a lot of their nutrient uptake and water for fruiting. To encourage this, pinch out any side shoots as they emerge to avoid excessive foliage production. Keep them in a sheltered sunny spot, keep watering them and feed regularly for delicious harvests from next month.
Check any tall or climbing plants like beans, tomatoes and cucumbers as they grow to make sure that they have sufficient structural support.
Happy gardening!