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June

Although it may seem in some areas of the country that winter has still not really left us, it is definitely June. May has been a rather mixed month and in the north growing appears to be two to three weeks behind what it normally is. I wasn't best pleased when a hail-storm near the end of May shredded my hostas – who needs snails! Which just goes to show that the old gardener's maxim that you should never 'cast a "clout" till May's out' has some validity.

June is an important month. You need to constantly tie in your climbers, wrapping self-supporting trendrils around wire supports. Keep a look out for pests and treat aphids, blackspot and mildew before they take hold. Prune early flowering shrubs such as lilac and forsythia.

Remember to water the garden more regularly - despite the late Spring in some areas gardens are dry. Check out our watering guide for help.

Weeds will now be rampant and it is always a good idea to put down extra mulch to help discourage weed. Constantly dead-head your flowering plants, this really helps repeat flowering and keeps roses and annuals looking neat. If you haven't already done so plant your Dahlias.

You can spike lawns now by making small deep holes to enable rain to penetrate and you should mow regularly but during dry spells raise the blades a little. You should also pinch out growing tips on chrysanthemums, dahlias and modern pinks to encourage larger flowers.

You will constantly need to weed paths now as you will find weeds coming up between flagstones, which look unsightly and can spread rapidly.

Poppies (right) will now be coming into their own as will Echinops and lilies. I have grown several varieties in pots this year. You can pop them into the garden to hide bare patches which might be appearing - they are versatile and generally easy to grow - but watch out for lily beetle.

This month we can also look forward to summer Iris, Alliums, Lavender, Geraniums, Lupins and Foxgloves. Summer is finally here - make the most of it.

© Reckless Gardener Magazine 2005 Mill Cottage New Media