hiya bucks in Bourne End, Flackwell Heath, Marlow, Wycombe, Wooburn June 2015 | Page 24

June Gardening by Stuart McCann of Gardening Angel What a great month it’s been for me, I have worked on 4 major planting projects as well as keeping my regular clients ticking over with the usual mowing, pruning, weeding etc. The workload has also been made easier to manage due to my new work colleague, Helen (whom I mentioned briefly in last month’s article). She does a great job and I can trust her to get on with things without having to check on her progress. So, a big thank you to Helen! come out now and to say the least, she is over the moon! The time is right for you to start thinking about supporting those tall elegant perennials like Lupins, Delphiniums and Peonies. These are all top heavy and definitely need your support if they are to keep looking good all throughout the summer months. You can make your own support structure with canes and twine or you can buy specific, readymade metal stakes from the Garden centre. I have a soft spot for Lupins, I think they look stunning when at their best! Forsythia needs to be pruned now, once their yellow flowers have fallen, prune about a third off your old stems as this will encourage new growth and help to maintain a nice looking healthy shape. Until next time, happy gardening! Something to also mention is the fact that this year, all our gardens are looking a lot more healthy and lush, compared to the same time period last year. Probably to do with the mild winter we have just witnessed. On the downside though, weeds have grown more vigorously, especially my old enemy ‘Ground Elder’. I despise it; you can never get rid of it, no matter what technique you try. Those long white roots certainly give me nightmares! I have a number of clients who have Wisteria trailing over arches, climbing up walls and must say they are looking amazing. It’s all about timing regarding pruning these majestic climbers, keeping the long wispy shoots under control in summer and pruning to 2-3 buds in January or February. I have a new client whose Wisteria hadn’t flowered over the last few years, but pruning it correctly this time round has ensured there are 250-300 flower buds starting to 24 To advertise in Hiya Bucks text or call 07947 349134