June Gardening Hints and Tips

We have had a late Spring this year (2021), with drought and frost holding plants back.  I note that last year, at this time, I remarked on the good set of apples and pears; whereas, this year, the apple blossom is barely out yet.  I did spot a woodpecker (spotted) tearing some blossom off…such a help; but I was pleased to see it, as they do not seem as common as they were!

There are still jobs that must be done in hope of kind weather continuing… here are some suggestions:

Ornamental garden

• Gently remove spent flowers from Camellia and rhododendrons to make room for the leaf buds emerging behind. You can also trim back overgrown shoots to make the shrubs more compact, next year’s flower buds will form on the new growth of side shoots that this stimulates.
• Divide bearded irises after flowering; plant with the rhizomes facing south.
• Sow biennials like sweet William, viola and wallflowers
• Divide spring-flowering bulbs.
• Remove spent flower heads of Euphorbia by cutting flowered stems to ground level. Wear gloves for this, the sap causes skin irritation.

Lawns

• Mow regularly but, if it is hot and dry, raise the cutting height.
• Apply a high-nitrogen lawn feed (again not when dry)
• Add clippings to the compost heap in small amounts; mix them with dry material to stop it all going slimy.

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