Joyous
JOBS FOR JUNE
The Joy of June
By Caroline Knight
The first month of summer is here! It’ s incredible to experience over 16 hours of daylight on June days. It also means there are gardening opportunities for two-thirds of the day, and it’ s a time for reaping the rewards of spring efforts.
This month, drama and transformation happen every single night. June gardens are glorious. You step outside to find a green oasis, with plants emerging from nooks and crannies you didn’ t know existed. Foliage is lush and blooms are plentiful.
• Perform the Chelsea Chop. This is not a dance but a practice inspired by the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, which took place last month. It’ s a good idea to cut back certain perennials, such as hardy geraniums, Alchemilla mollis( lady’ s mantle), Stachys( lamb’ s ear) and Heuchera( coral bells). It might seem a shame to cut them back hard, but it encourages them to produce fresh foliage and blooms.
• The beginning of June is the key time to fill gaps by planting new perennials and annuals. You want your garden to look its best by the end of the month, because it probably won’ t get much better than this!
• Keep deadheading roses to encourage the formation of new buds and further flowers. Not all roses respond in this way: traditional shrub roses and ramblers tend to flower only once each year. Also be sure to remove suckers. These are easily recognised as they tend to be paler than the rose plant itself. Twist off the sucker directly from where it emerges from the main stem.
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