June Gardening tips

It feels as if June has snuck up on us, doesn’t it? After weeks of frosts, May skipped by quickly and suddenly here we are in June, unprepared for summer. 

Whether you are a regular gardener or not, June is the month to sit down, stop and enjoy the summer. It’s easy to be misty-eyed about the summers of my childhood, but I vividly recall sitting in my west-facing bedroom window when I was meant to be asleep in bed, watching the sky turn every shade of pink, purple and lilac, seeing the bats zip through the air catching insects and feeling a deep sense of peace. 

You don’t need to be a gardener, or even have a garden, to feel this. Take yourself outside in the evening. Find a west-facing bench, and sit and watch the sun set, listen to the birds, take in the colours around you. It will be a restorative end to the day. 

My garden at home is east-facing, so not ideal for this, as by the evening it’s in shade. But it’s a good place for a morning cuppa, and I love lingering listening to the last blackbird sing his heart out on the high branches of my neighbour’s ash tree at dusk as I put the hens to bed. 

Evenings often find me on my south-facing allotment, trying to keep up with the weeding, watering, and nurturing that precedes any harvesting and eating. Nurturing plants has been good for the soul during the pandemic, so if you’re yet to take the plunge, now is a good month to try. You have nothing to lose.

If you don’t have a garden, there’s plenty that you can still do. Sow batches of salad leaves every couple of weeks and put them on a sunny windowsill. By doing this repeatedly throughout the summer, you’ll keep yourself in salad leaves, rather than having a glut and then nothing.

Chilli peppers will thrive indoors in a sunny position. Tie them in to a bamboo cane or stick as they grow to prevent them from drooping, and water and feed them each week. 

If you have the opportunity to create window boxes or hanging baskets, why not try planting herbs, tumbling tomatoes or even strawberries this year? It really is a joy to harvest a little bit of your own food, and a hanging basket or window box will serve perfectly well. 

But for a little bit more seasonal food, why not head to a Pick Your Own farm? At this time of year you’ll be able to pick strawberries, the last of the rhubarb, and if you’re really lucky, fresh peas. What could be more delicious? 

If you do have a garden, you may, like me, be wondering how the weeds seem to thrive while your back is turned? Weeding isn’t a one-time-only activity. Try to do a little bit of weeding every week and you’ll stay on top of the situation. Just 15 minutes weeding in the garden, in your nightclothes before bed, should help you keep ahead of the weeds. This gives your own plants a bit more room to thrive. 

Watering will be important too, unless we have a traditionally wet British summer. If you’re growing vegetables, remember to water them regularly and evenly. Tomatoes will let you know when you’ve got this wrong, as their skins crack. A really good tip is to create a sump by thirsty plants such as courgettes and pumpkins, though you could do this for pretty much anything. Take a plastic bottle and make holes in the lid. Cut off the base. Sink it next to the plant you want to water. Fill it with water each day – and remember, watering early or late is best – and it will release the water to the plant more slowly. 

We looked at water conservation last month. It’s been a very dry spring, so, don’t be tempted to put the sprinkler on. Use watering cans and you will be aware of how much water you’re using. 

Newly-planted trees, shrubs and fruit bushes will need watering regularly for the first few years of their lives, especially if the summer is hot. A bucket of water once a week will go deeper than a little bit of water every night. This will give your trees a deeper and more supportive root system. 

It’s not too late to give your flowering plants the Chelsea Chop. This is where you cut back some of your herbaceous perennials, such as phlox, penstemons and sedums. Cut back some of the plants by a third, and you’ll get a longer flowering season. Yes, I know it should have been done in May, but early June should be fine. 

At last it’s time to sit down with a cuppa and enjoy what’s around you. If this is after work, try to ensure that you’ve got some evening-scented flowers on the go. I’ve managed to cram 21 roses into a small city garden, and they are a delight in the evening. Whilst you’re enjoying your sit down, you can take in the garden and think about any changes you’d like to make over the winter. A gardener’s work is never done!

Hazel Southam
Psalm 23 Garden project manager