Gardening by Month - June

July is a stunning month to enjoy the garden in all its glory. Whether you’re entertaining or finding some quiet time to relax, make the most of your outdoor space.

New plants will establish quickly in the warm soil, so long as you keep them watered in dry weather. Our plants of the month are alpines, with some lovely summer-flowering varieties, and they’re all 20% off for Garsons cardholders.

If you’re looking for a climber, the star jasmine flowers through the summer. It has scented white flowers and evergreen leaves. It likes a warm, sheltered wall. Honeysuckle is also scented, and some varieties are evergreen, so you benefit from year-round foliage along with seasonal scented flowers. Honeysuckle roots prefer to be shaded, so they’re ideally positioned behind low-growing plants where the base can stay cooler.

You can still sow seeds for spring onions, lettuce, carrots, radishes and beetroot. If July is another dry month, make sure your vegetables get plenty of water, ideally in the evenings. Check all your seasonal fruit and veg daily to enjoy at its best. Give tomatoes a fortnightly tomato feed for a tasty crop, such as liquid Tomorite. Leave them on the vine until ripe and juicy.

Take the ‘little and often’ approach to maintaining your summer garden:

• Keep on top of weeds by pulling them up before they take over.
• Cut back any flowers that have faded. Deadhead blooms, especially roses and sweet peas, to encourage more flowers. Shrubs such as lavender and rosemary benefit from a good prune with shears after they’ve stopped flowering, otherwise they become straggly.
• Feed flowering plants, herbs and vegetables regularly. Ask for advice in the garden centre or choose an all-purpose feed and check the instructions on the packaging.

Be water-wise by using a water butt and adding a thick layer of organic mulch around your plants to help them retain moisture. Mulching also adds nutrients to the soil, which promotes plant health.

All this will help your garden look good right through the summer and into autumn. Remember birds and other wildlife by keeping a bird bath topped up, as well as a fresh water source at ground level.

Until next month, have a glorious summer in your garden!