It feels as if everything in the garden is coming to a crescendo this month. With the longest day of the year coming up, nature looks to be coming up to full stretch: even with the extended periods without rain, the borders are filling out and slowly showing their full glory.
The beauty of having borders that are brimming over with plants is that unwanted plants (weeds!) have a hard job getting a foot hold. Spreading Geraniums are particularly good at creating attractive ground cover now whilst the Brunnera and Pulmonaria species do the job very well early in the season. They all make excellent green layers around the base of taller, showy plants such as Delphiniums.
Keeping an eye on the plants that are behaving like thugs is important too: be ruthless about taking species that are dominating others at their expense and don’t be afraid to trim shrubs that are getting too big for their spot. I have got a great second flush of colour from a Photinia after cutting it back hard. Getting away from my laptop and being a Hampshire garden designer to do practical work is a great boost - especially if there are knotty techincal problems to overcome!
So, to make the best of the weather, get fit and to get away from the ever-present “tinternet”, the following tasks can be undertaken:
• Cut the grass where the spring bulbs have been growing as the bulbs will have rejuvenated through their green stems.
• Cut back spring flowering shrubs: these include Deutzia, Syringa (lilac), Weigela and Kolkwitzia. Do the same with deciduous Magnolia if it needed.
• Evergreens such as Viburnum tinus and Choisya can also be cut and shaped once they have flowered.
• Roses can be deadheaded to encourage repeat flowering. Do this by cutting to just above the first leaf below the faded bloom.
• Clip box, privet and Loincera hedges remembering to make the sides slightly inward sloping to allow the sunlight to the base of the hedge and to reduce the chance of it splitting open in adverse conditions.
• Although we have rain recently, the reservoirs are at a low level. Be “water aware”, as the phrase goes. Using bath and shower water to look after pots and using a watering can rather than a hose will direct this precious resource in an effective way.
• Divide Hosta as they come into growth and fill out any gaps in the borders with bedding.
On that last point, I recently went to a garden centre and was saddened at how few people were there. The owner, however, was looking very chipper and relaxed: “I’m sorry your customers are not filling this place as they normally do”. He smiled and replied, “Oh don’t worry, we sold out of everything seasonal ages ago”. No wonder he was so cheery.
Good to see gardening going up the domestic agenda again!