Flower Garden - June

Watering is likely to be the most important job this month. Even if you don’t have a hosepipe ban to contend with try to be economical. Focus on containers and anything that has been recently planted. It’s better to water borders thoroughly once a week than give them a splash of water every day. Established borders may not need watering at all especially if they were mulched in the spring. Water evaporates quickly when it’s sunny so try to water early in the morning or in the cool of the evening. Make sure the water is directed at the soil rather than onto plant leaves.

It’s not too late to mulch – just make sure the soil is moist when you lay the mulch. Choose J Arthur Bower’s Mulch & Mix or Composted Bark for a finely textured and attractive finish.

June is one of the most popular months for buying perennials and shrubs – hardly surprising when there are so many beautiful plants in flower this month. Make sure all new acquisitions are planted with a handful of your favourite J Arthur Bower’s planting mixture. Water the plant into the planting hole and continue to water regularly – every two or three days if it’s really hot – until the plants are established and making new growth.

Summer bedding can be planted in the borders to fill any gaps. Follow the usual planting rules, remembering that many bedding plants have only tiny root systems and are very likely to dry out in hot weather.

Weeds can grow very fast at this time of year, taking nutrients and moisture from your plants. Keep on top of them by hoeing or forking them out before they grow big or set seed.

Prune shrubs that have finished flowering such as Weigela, Kolkwitzia Philadelphus and Deutzia. These shrubs will do best if about one third of old stems are cut out each year. This lets more light and air into the shrub. Use loppers or a pruning saw to cut through thick stems. After pruning feed with your favourite J Arthur Bower’s or New Horizon Multi-Purpose Food.
The spicy clove scent of pinks (Dianthus) has made these plants very popular in recent years. Now is the time to take cuttings and increase stock of your favourites. Take the cuttings from young non-flowering shoots cutting about five leaf pairs from the tip. Pull off the bottom pair of leaves and place the cuttings round the edge of an 8cm. pot filled with a 50/50 mixture of J Arthur Bower’s Seed & Cuttings Compost and J Arthur Bower’s Silver Sand. Water in gently and keep in a shady place. Do not cover as the cuttings may go mouldy.
There’s still time to sow fast-growing annuals to flower this year. Choose from Clarkia, Virginia Stock, Candytuft and Calendula (Pot Marigold) to fill empty spaces. They should flower within 10 to 12 weeks.

Evergreen hedges of yYew, Privet, Box, Lonicera Nitida and Leyland Cypress can be clipped this month. Topiary box should also be trimmed if not done already. After trimming, feed with your favourite J Arthur Bower’s or New Horizon Food and water in well.

Cut off fading flower spikes of Delphinium, Phlox, Geraniums and Lupins. Feed the plants and you should find they make new growth, and may even produce more flower spikes later in the year.

Most modern roses will flower twice but to help produce a second crop it’s a good idea to cut off the faded flowers – this is called dead-heading. Cut back to a strong side shoot. Many older roses flower only once and will then produce attractive hips – these roses should not be dead-headed.

Feed roses with J Arthur Bower’s Rose Food when the first flush of flowers is over and the roses have been dead-headed. Water after feeding if the soil is dry.