June is Blooming Lovely in the Garden
June is a great month to be in the garden – everything is bursting into bloom and you can really enjoy being outside. With longer and brighter evenings, you can use your garden or patio as a great extension to your home – whether it’s in the countryside or in a smaller, but equally treasured, urban environment. June may not be the hottest month, but it has plenty of sunshine along with the summer solstice on 21st June when we say goodbye to spring and welcome summer.
And nothing shouts summer more than fragrant flowering roses. Roses are one of the oldest flowers in the world, and have been referenced in literature, music and art for centuries. They are much loved by gardeners as a hardy, long-lasting plant and come in all shapes, colours and varieties. When planting roses in your garden you should consider the look and feel of what you would like to achieve – from creating excellent focal points to framing certain areas of your garden or outside space. They give a fantastic show throughout the summer months and are relatively easy to grow. Roses need only an initial feed at the beginning of spring and then a regular feed after each flowering. The occasional soaking during dry summer days will help to maintain plant health and vigour and if you lightly dead head throughout the growing season they will continue to flower into the autumn. There are many types of roses and varieties including shrub roses, the classic hybrid tea and old English roses that offer an exquisite fragrance. They can grow in most settings – large and small gardens, contemporary or traditional spaces, flower beds or traditional borders and are perfect for planters and containers.
When choosing what to plant with roses make sure you pick companion plants that are a good fit – so ones that thrive in the same sun exposure, soil type and have similar growing needs. Most roses require full sun, well-drained soil and plenty of breathing space to maintain good air flow around them and prevent black spot and other fungal diseases. Avoid companion plants that are prone to taking over the garden and that will eventually crowd out your roses and deprive them of light and air.
Many companion plants can help ward off pests and improve the soil. Nepeta, also known as catmint, has aromatic foliage that fends off aphids and many other garden pests whilst attracting bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects. Alliums also keep aphids at bay and attract beneficial insects such as parasitic wasps and hoverflies. For ground cover, you could plant some hardy geraniums (Cranesbill) – they’re low growers and form a living mulch, protecting rose roots.
Rose petals can be used as a herbal tea. Pink Rosa x damascena or Rosa rugosa are commonly used for making rose tea – other varieties may be more bitter in taste. Rose tea has natural anti-inflammatory properties and can also potentially enhance sleep and mood because roses contain l-theanine, an amino acid that has been shown to help alleviate anxiety and improve sleep.
But gardens aren’t just about roses … here are some top tips from the RHS for June:
• Plant up summer hanging baskets and containers
• Use water wisely to keep your plants thriving
• Pinch out sideshoots on tomatoes
• Harvest lettuce, radish, other salads and early potatoes
• Hoe borders regularly to keep down weeds
• Mow lawns once a week – but consider leaving some areas uncut for wildlife
• Plant out summer bedding
• Stake tall or floppy plants
• Prune many spring-flowering shrubs
• Shade greenhouses to keep them cool and prevent scorch
And finally …
“In early June the world of leaf and blade and flowers explodes, and every sunset is different.” John Steinbeck