In the Garden... June

Well I hope ‘flaming June’ lives up to its name – in the gardening calendar June is early summer, garden foliage still has the freshness of spring, while flower buds abound teasing us with the promise of vibrant colour to come.

You do not need a large garden to introduce colour and seasonal interest – if you have a small garden, like I do; backyard; balcony or terrace, this can be achieved with a ‘container garden’.

There are several positive reasons for having a container garden:-

• If you live in rented accommodation or haven’t quite settled down, when you move you can take your ‘garden’ with you

• You can ‘ring the changes’ – I’m forever moving/rearranging my pots, like furniture in a room in the house

• Plants which grow in different soil conditions can be displayed together i.e. lime haters next to lime lovers

• You can be experimental with colour schemes and plants, especially seasonal container plants

Perhaps the only downside of container gardening is that you have to be more attentive with watering and feeding.

Which container? - This is a matter of personal choice and of course your budget, choose from glass fibre, plastic, terracotta, stone or even upcycle unwanted containers from your home – I’ve seen some wonderful ideas using pots/pans; bathroom furniture; shopping baskets and tea sets.

Generally, arrange them in ‘huddles’ and use a mixture of sizes for best effect – and personally I would advocate having fewer larger planters than lots of little ones (it cuts down on the watering!), but remember  if you plan on moving them don’t  make them too big to move.

What plants? – Most plants will grow in a container as long as it is large enough to sustain the plant. So, vegetables, herbs, fruit trees on dwarf root stock, seasonal plants and shrubs. Consider planting at least a third of your containers with permanent/evergreen green plants.

Tasks for June

There are very few essential tasks other than keeping ‘on top’ of things and I guess that the vast majority of us will be ahead of the game this year, so…

• Mow the lawn – don’t cut it too short, if we have a really dry spell the lawn will go brown if you do

• Keep a look out for pest, particularly on roses and lush green shoots

• Keep on top of weeds

• Tidy up/lift any remaining spring flowering bulbs

• WATERING PLANTS – Watering should be done thoroughly – ideally either early in the morning or in the evening. Hanging baskets and small containers should be watered daily.

• Feed plants in containers with a water soluble feed – this can be done every time you water and certainly once a week

• Deadheading (removing flowers as they fade) – this is an important task which needs doing regularly to extend the flowering season

So until July, happy gardening, J.