Page 22 - Oundle Life June 2021

Get gardening...
THE GARDEN IN JUNE
June well and truly heralds the start of summer, with the lovely long evenings and higher temperatures. Our gardens truly respond to this perfect combination of light and heat, in both the flower and edible gardens.
Now the threat of frosts should be behind us, summer bedding can now be planted outside, as can more tender herbaceous perennials such as dahlias and cannas. Vegetables that have been started under cover or indoors such as courgette, squash, tomatoes and
sweetcorn can also be hardened off outside now. If you didn’t start these vegetables inside earlier in the year, don’t worry. They can be sown outside now directly into well prepared soil.
Traditional Cottage Garden favourites such as foxgloves, lupins and delphiniums begin to flower. Delphinium look stunning towering over their neighbours. To keep them looking their best, stake their tall stalks to stop
them flopping over in wind or
heavy rain. Other top-heavy perennials such as peonies need support too. It’s best to get these in place early and let the plant grow through them, hiding the support once fully grown. New shoots of climbers, such as honeysuckle and clematis, should be gently tied to their supports to help train them as they grow.
The warmer weather means you should check plants regularly to see if they need watering. Plants in pots, troughs or hanging baskets dry out faster. Check plants daily. Use rain water collected in water butts during the wet autumn and winter months. If you haven’t got a water butt, now is a good time to plan ahead ready for next year! If not, the Garden Centre has lots of solutions to keep your garden watered.
Side shoots on tomatoes should be pinched out. Remember to put support in place for your tomatoes as they grow bigger, and make
sure they
are regularly
watered.
Lettuce and
radish should
now be ready
to harvest and
enjoy, as should your early potatoes. These are usually ready about 10 weeks after they were planted. Watch onion and garlic plants. Once their leaves start to yellow and die back, it means they are ready to be harvested.
As much as your cherished plants are enjoying this time of year, so are the weeds. Keep on top of them by regularly hoeing beds and borders. Little and often.
Above all else, find time to sit and enjoy your garden during these longest days of the year!
www.thebarngardencentre.co.uk
22