Sixty second edition -  June 2006    

June is not such a frantic month for the gardener, as most of the heavy work has now been done. The bedding plants, tubs and hanging baskets are in place and growing nicely and all those maintenance jobs have been seen to, so stand back and take stock of your garden. The next three months are the best in the year for relaxing in the garden and enjoying the fruits of your labour..

Do you take advantage of the DEFRA website for information? I find it a valuable source of information, for up to date legislation, countryside matters and useful information such as plant pests and diseases, which saves me ploughing through all my gardening books, with the knowledge that their information is bang up to date...

Jobs for the garden in June

House plants

Many houseplants can be put outside for the summer now that all risk of frost has passed. Put them in a sheltered place out of strong winds and sunlight and check them regularly as they will dry out a lot more quickly than if they were indoors. Keep woolly leaved and tender plants indoors. Experiment with cuttings from all types of houseplants. Be vigilant for pests and diseases.

Bedding Plants and hardy annuals

Keep your newly planted bedding plants watered until established during dry weather. Hanging baskets and tubs should be watered daily.. If you have sown hardy annuals directly into the soil you might have to thin them out if the seedlings have grown in groups that are too crowded..

Lawns

You might need to mow your lawn twice weekly this month if we have plenty of rain to get it growing. Set your lawn mower to the lowest height that best suits your grass.. This year I have thinned out my lawn considerably as it was getting very deep with moss in areas. Now I can have the mower on it's lowest setting during the summer months without it chewing up the grass..

Shrubs

If, over winter, you've pruned shrubs to a good shape and cut out all the dead wood, there is very little in the way of maintenance this month, so just enjoy them.. It's always kinder not to disturb birds that are nesting in your garden by disturbing their chosen spot.. If you are a topiary enthusiast obviously these will need frequent attention..

Greenhouse

Now all the bedding plants have gone outside you probably have a huge empty space in your greenhouse which could be used for growing peppers or tomatoes, or even a cucumber.. If you haven't grown your own from seed, nip down to the garden centre; they're bound to have some left that you can buy..

Apply coolglass to the outside of the glass to prevent temperatures from soaring.  Use the hosepipe (or watering can if there is a hosepipe ban in force) to thoroughly dampen down your greenhouse to improve humidity..

Vegetables

Support runner beans as they grow and give them plenty of water. Pinch out the top of broad beans once the lowest flowers have set. Plant out other vegetables sown indoors, including winter brassicas. Start harvesting early lettuce, spring cabbage and radishes, and continue with successional sowings of these and other salad crops. Grow some herbs in an ornamental container near your back door for accessibility, and grow mint in a container - not in the garden because it spreads like wildfire. Marrows, courgettes and pumpkins can still be sown outdoors in early June. Finally, plant outdoor tomatoes if this has not already been done. Train them up canes or string and remove sideshoots..

Garden Ponds  

This is still a good time to plant aquatics. New pools planted in May are now ready to stock with fish. Don`t put in too many; the aquatic department of your local garden centre should be able to tell you how many fish your pond will comfortably take, allowing for growth. If you are going on holiday don't forget to make arrangements for your fish to be fed..  

Wildlife

Warm June evenings bring out all those insects, and also the hedgehog who will feast on them, so entice him out with a saucer of bread and milk. Look out for those Pipistrelle bats that fly around at dusk, whose young will be born this month, and watch out for any young fledgling birds, but don`t try hand rearing any that appear to have been abandoned, just put them gently in the safety of a bush for them to take their chance. Their parents may come looking for them later

Climate change: here and now

Climate change is one of the world’s greatest challenges. It is also one of the National Trust's biggest challenges.

The impacts of climate change in the UK are increasingly affecting the historic buildings, gardens, countryside and coast in our care.

Still with the National Trust, some of the most visited National Trust properties are now holding regular farmers' and food markets.  Click here for details  and dates.

RHS gardens

Their four flagship gardens not only provide year-round interest and offer a wide range of courses, talks and demonstrations, they also demonstrate the best gardening practices, new techniques and exciting new plants to try in your garden.

• Visit Wisley in Surrey
• Visit Rosemoor in Devon
• Visit Hyde Hall in Essex
• Visit Harlow Carr in North Yorkshire

Or go to their website for a diary of all other events at:-    http://www.rhs.org.uk/WhatsOn/index.asp

An essential gardening date for June:

For a full list of RHS flower shows for 2006, see here

Thompson & Morgan 

Visit  www.thompson-morgan.com where full information is available on their product varieties and orders can be taken on-line.  Have a look to see what is new and any special seasonal offers

Some places to visit...

www.edenproject.com 

The living theatre of plants and people
The Eden Project is a gateway into the world of plants and people. A meeting place for all to discover how we depend on plants and how we can help to manage and conserve them for our mutual survival.

Kew Gardens two locations:-

http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/

The National Botanic Gardens of Scotland comprise:

Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Scotland's Premier Garden

Benmore Botanic Garden, Argyll
Argyll's Magnificent Mountainside Garden

Dawyck Botanic Garden, Borders
Wonderful Woodland Garden

Logan Botanic Garden, Galloway
Scotland's Most Exotic Garden

The National Botanic Garden of Wales

www.gardenofwales.org.uk

The star attraction here is the 91 metre long domed glasshouse, that houses landscapes normally found in the Mediterranean. This would be a super place to visit on a chilly day...

Keep the e-mails with your gardening problems coming

Have a look at previous editions of Gardener`s Diary

Some websites of interest to gardeners:-

www.carryongardening.co.uk

Gardening is an important part of many people's lives. You don't have to give up gardening because of accident or illness, the onset of disability or the problems associated with growing older. The information on their website is designed to provide you with the information to Carry on Gardening.

Carry on Gardening was initiated by the horticultural charity Thrive and is funded by the National Lottery Charities Board.  It brings together information on easy ways of gardening gathered over 23 years by Thrive and research carried out since the early 1970s by Mary Marlborough Centre, Oxford, on tools and equipment for disabled and older people. 

The founder of www.maple-landscapes.com is my eldest son.. give him a call if you live in the Leicester area of the UK and have need of his services.. 

Useful reading:-

"The Yellow Book" contains information of all Gardens of England and Wales open for charity, and can be bought priced £5 from National Gardens Scheme  www.ngs.org.uk

National Trust Gardens Handbook is £6.99 and the new edition is out in May  Telephone 01394 389 950 or see their website www.nationaltrust.org.uk

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