Want ideas of things to do in the garden in June? We’ve got plenty of gardening ideas and tasks for this month!
Ah June, one of our favourite months. The mad weeding growing of spring has slowed down to something more manageable and the weather has generally improved to the extent that we can actually spend some time outside and enjoy the fruits of our labour. (They might even be literal fruits – fresh raspberries, anyone?). Here’s what still needs doing this month, in between bouts of lounging around on a picnic blanket, sipping G&T…..
Things to do in the garden in June: plant hanging baskets
Hanging baskets are great for brightening up small spaces.
If you have anywhere to hang them from, hanging baskets can look stunning. Before you commit, though, remember that they can be a lot of work and require watering every day in hot weather! You’ll need a wire or plastic hanging basket and something to line it with. This can either be a readymade cardboard or fibre liner, or you can use moss from the lawn which is a cheap and attractive option – you’ll need a layer at least 1/2 inch thick. Once you’ve put the liner in, you might also want to stand a plastic plant saucer at the bottom before you put the compost in. As hanging baskets dry out very quickly, this saucer will help to hold water and keep the compost moist for longer. Finally, plant the basket up with bright or trailing species such as geraniums, lobelia, petunias and ivy. Watering hanging baskets can be a bit wasteful of water, so you might like to position a pot of flowers underneath the basket to catch the run off!
Start harvesting
Hooray, hooray! All that sowing and planting earlier in the year finally pays off. Now’s the time to harvest salad leaves and early potatoes and possibly also soft fruit such as strawberries, blackcurrants and raspberries. If you’ve put in your tomato plants, then every time you water them pinch out the side shoots to keep the plants straight and vigorous.
Mowing
If you haven’t already done so, consider leaving an area of lawn unmown for wildlife.
The lawn will still need mowing once a week, unless you’re taking part in No Mow May, an initiative to encourage insect diversity. Many people have left a corner of their lawn untouched for this reason. Even when you do decide to mow that wild corner, consider mowing it less that usual to encourage plant growth.
Plan your summer borders
Plan summer borders to add colour throughout the summer.
Although the weeds should be starting to slow down a bit now, that doesn’t mean no weeding at all! You’ll still need to hoe beds regularly to stop unwanted growth. If you keep any beds specifically for summer annuals then now’s the time to get them ready. Hoe them over and add a layer of compost and fertiliser before plant out. Bright summer bedding plants include marigolds, cosmos, begonias, snapdragons and fuchsias. Planted now, they’ll make a vibrant show all summer long.
Things to do in the garden in June: protect greenhouse plants
Beware of hot weather scorching tender greenhouse plants – water regularly, ventilate and add some shade.
Honestly, the British weather – it’s too cold in the winter and too hot in the summer for lots of plants. Although having a greenhouse will help you extend your growing season, it can become problematic in hotter weather. Left unprotected, greenhouses often overheat and plants will scorch or even die. Between May and September, leave all the vents open whenever you can and use some sort of shading. Depending on your budget, you could opt for purpose-made interior or exterior blinds or using a DIY version such as tarpaulin. Only use shade on the hottest days, though, as otherwise your plants will be starved of sunlight. Any DIY options should be easy to remove!
If the weather is kind to us, this will be the start of a long summer in the garden so it’s worth dusting off the garden furniture if you haven’t already done so, too.
All images (c) 2022 Pixabay
Check out more of our Things to do in the Garden series:
Things to do in the garden in May
Things to do in the garden in April
Things to do in the garden in March
Things to do in the garden in February
