insideKENT Magazine Issue 75 - June 2018 | Page 148

OUTDOORLIVING
YOUR GARDEN THIS MONTH:
JUNE
TOP 10 JOBS THIS MONTH
1. Hoe borders regularly to keep down weeds
2. Be water wise, especially in drought-
affected areas
3. Pinch out sideshoots on tomatoes
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 many spring-flowering shrubs
10. Shade greenhouses to keep them cool and
prevent scorch
Be aware that clay soils can feel damp even
when all available water has been used and
that sand soils can feel dry even if some water
is available. The only way around this is to
develop experience in matching the observed
state of an individual garden’s soil to the
growth rate of the plants. Wilting is usually
preceded by changes in leaf position and
darkening of leaf colour.
For plants in pots, the compost looking paler
or feeling dry to the touch and the pot
becoming lighter in weight (and consequently
more prone to blowing over) are all signs that
the compost is beginning to dry and is in need
of water.
BE WATER WISE
Ideally water plants early in the morning to
avoid evaporation loss during the day. On
warm summer days, evening watering is also
likely to be effective, the dry soil soaking it in
readily and low humidity at night reducing
risk of disease.
To determine the need for watering, inspec t
the soil at a spade's depth. If the soil feels damp,
there is unlikely to be any need to water, but
if it is dry then watering is probably required
for some plants.
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POSITION SUMMER HANGING BASKETS AND
CONTAINERS OUTSIDE
Although summer hanging baskets can be
planted from April onwards, they will need
protection from frost until the middle or end
of May. If you do not have a greenhouse, it is
usually easier to plant in situ once the frosts
have passed.
The basic principles of creating a hanging
basket for winter and summer are the same:
LINING
First of all, if you are using a standard wire
basket it will need to be lined. You can buy
readymade 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.
COMPOST
A multipurpose 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.
CHOOSING AND ARRANGING THE 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. However, using a more decorative basket
is best where it will be easily seen.