This last month has been beautiful – I have enjoyed walks in bluebell woods nearby and admired the Rhododendrons at Stody Lodge Gardens, so many amazing colours and scents and so much promise of the season to come.
Summer is finally here, bringing with it warmer temperatures and longer evenings. I have enjoyed watching the trees along the roadsides burst into leaf and fresh foliage on sprouting perennials in the garden which are now bushing up, such as Japanese Anemones and Delphiniums, making gardens feel lush with life. Wisteria, roses and lilacs are in full bloom.
My lawn mower has made its first appearance of the year and my bedding plants have migrated from my greenhouse, now hardened off and are getting planted out in my beds – Cosmos, marigolds and nasturtiums among my favourites this year.
I have enjoyed my greenhouse adventures so much that I had too many plants and set up a plant stall outside my house, hoping they will go to a good home.
I love to see gardens coming to life at this time of year and enjoy watching the confidence of the young blackbirds grow as they emerge from hiding in the undergrowth. As I weed away there are plenty of birds chasing each other around for my best bugs!
Happy Gardening!
Jobs for June:
- Support flowers like Peonies
- Put in canes for sweet peas to grow up
- Plant out bedding
- Water hanging baskets and pots
- Look out for particularly troublesome weeds like Ground Elder and Bindweed and remove – pull up as much of the plant (including roots!) as you can
- Tie in climbers
- Feed roses with Tomorite
- Remove pests like caterpillars, red lily beetles and aphids (little green flies)
- Weed, weed, weed!