As the days grow longer and we can feel the sun's warmth, June is calling us into our gardens. This month is when the hard work of spring planting begins to pay off. As seen in our own beds in The Growing Nursery!
In this edition, we’ll share tips on maintaining your garden through the heat and spotlight some of June’s standout plants. Whether you're a seasoned gardener or just starting, we have something for everyone to ensure your garden thrives this month.
Join us as we explore the joys of June gardening. Let’s dig in and make this season the best one yet!
Monthly Quiz
First things first, it's time for a quiz! Do you know the answers to the following questions?
- Gardener’s grass is the common name for which popular grass?
- NIUAL is an anagram for which tall-growing, magnificent perennial featured in our borders?
- Wizard of Oz is a popular variety for which most-loved tuberous perennial?
What's Looking Great This Month?
As we enter late Spring, an abundance of flowers are in bloom in The Growing Nursery.
The colour and fragrance of salvia, or ornamental sage, is heaven for bees! With their spikes of flowers they add interest to borders. For impact, try alternating colours to line a fence or hedgerow.
Astilbes are also putting on an impressive show with their fluffy flower spikes. There’s a variety for everyone. Choose the large and flamboyant shrub-like ‘Horatio’ variety for spacious borders, or the bubble-gum pink ‘Look At Me’ dwarf variety for containers.
Our hardy geraniums have also entered their flowering period. They provide excellent ground cover and can flower for months at a stretch. According to the RHS, hardy geraniums are the most popular perennials in Britain and with eye-catching varieties like the ‘Jolly Jewel Red’ and ‘Boom Chocolatta’, we can see why.
Top Tips for Beginners
June is one of the busiest months of the year for gardeners! Here are some tips on what jobs may need doing this month.
As a rule, container plants should be fed once a week with liquid feed. Containerised plants can’t extend their roots in a search for nutrients, so a regular feed will help them to look their best.
By now you will know what plants have come back from last year, Fill any gaps with perennials and keep them well watered until they are established.
It is tempting to create a manicured garden. However, leaving a corner to remain wild will give a home to caterpillars. They love nettles! Keep the caterpillars happy and you’ll help the butterfly population.
If you have a greenhouse you will need to ventilate them well. In hot weather they will need damping down. Simply use a watering can to pour some water on the floor. This will create humidity throughout the day to help prevent heat damage.
Top Tips for All Gardeners
If your clematis montana’s flowers have faded, give it a prune and cut back to a healthy set of buds. By cutting them back, you can encourage fresh new foliage and flowers. Do this on your early flowering plants too, such as hardy geraniums. Don’t forget to water and mulch them to keep them as healthy as possible!
Now we’re in the season of warmer nights, it’s time to give your exotic plants a summer holiday! Move houseplants outside. Citruses too. With better light intensity, carbon dioxide and rain on their leaves — they will thank you for it.
June is a season for new growth. You’ll need to keep an eye on your rambling and climbing roses and keep them in bounds. Train them in a spiral, tying in as you go. This will encourage flowers from the ground upwards. For more information on roses, join us for our Rose Day event, with David Austin Roses! The morning's talk has sold out, but there are still places on the Rose Day talk at 1pm.
Our Pick of the Month
Nepeta is a dependable perennial that flowers over a long season. We have blue and white varieties, both with aromatic foliage, loved by pollinators. Cats love it too, which is why its common name is catmint!
Quiz Answers
- Phalaris Arundinacea
- Inula
- Dahlia
Well done if you got three points!
Thanks for reading. We hope to see you at The Growing Nursery soon.
