insideKENT Magazine Issue 63 - June 2017 | Page 155

OUTDOORLIVING
YOUR GARDEN NEEDS THIS MONTH:
JUNE
Everything you need to know TO KEEP YOUR GARDEN HEALTHY
AND THRIVING THROUGHOUT EARLY SUMMER FROM THE ROYAL
HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY.
TOP 10 JOBS THIS MONTH
POSITION SUMMER HANGING BASKETS AND
CONTAINERS OUTSIDE
1. Hoe borders regularly to keep down weeds
2. Be water wise, especially in drought-
affected areas The basic principles of creating a hanging
basket for winter and summer are the same.
3. Pinch out side shoots on tomatoes • Lining
First of all, if you are using a standard wire
basket, it will need to be lined. You can buy
ready made cardboard liners and fibrous
materials sold for the purpose, but a thrifty
option is to collect moss from the lawn. Aim
to cover the inside with about a 1.5cm-thick
layer of the material and then half fill the basket
with compost.
4. Harvest lettuce, radish, other salads and
early potatoes
5. Position summer hanging baskets and
containers outside
6. Mow lawns at least once a week
7. Plant out summer bedding
8. Stake tall or floppy plants
9. Prune any spring-flowering shrubs
10. Shade greenhouses to keep them cool and
prevent scorch
• Compost
A multipurpose compost is fine for a display
that only has to last for one year, but John
Innes no. 2 is better for a longer lasting
arrangement. And, if you want to grow plants
such as winter-flowering heathers, it’s best to
go for ericaceous compost, although Eri ca
carnea and E. x darleyensis cultivars are
tolerant of other composts that contain lime.
• Choosing and arranging plants
When you begin to arrange the plants in the
basket it is usually easiest to start with one,
central plant. This can be used to create
structure and impact, which is particularly
important in winter if its other companions
fail to flower in cold snaps. Around this,
position some trailing plants to cover the sides
of the basket, particularly if it is made from
wire. Along with this selection, it is worth
considering carefully the flowering plants –
choose colours that work well together and
plants that flower reliably; winter-flowering
pansies, petunias, lobelia and geraniums are
always winners.
• Finishing touches
Once all the plants are in, fill around the root
balls carefully with more compost, firming
gently. You can push in some controlled-
release fertiliser pellets or plugs at this stage,
and then water well.
157