It’s June already – half way through the year – and everything is ‘full on’ in the garden. You can’t turn around without something flopping into your path or slapping you in the face. It’s tie in, cut back, weed, mow and repeat for the next few weeks.
As well as the regular tasks to keep on top of everything, there are also some bigger jobs to tackle this month. I’ve Weigela ‘Bristol Ruby’ at the back of one border and a couple of unidentifiable pink varieties in another. If they are starting to outgrow their spots, now is a good time to prune them. Cutting back these early-flowering shrubs as soon as the blooms have dropped in June promotes the growth and ripening of new shoots over the remainder of the season and these will hold plenty of flowers in the next.
I’ll cut out any damaged or dead shoots and thin out some stems at ground level if the shrub is looking overcrowded. I’ll also take off any weak or spindly growth to let the plant focus its energy on stronger shoots that will carry the best flowers.
With secateurs in hand, now is also a great opportunity to make softwood cuttings of several perennials like pelargoniums or penstemons, as well as shrubs like fuchsia and the Russian sage, perovskia. Ideally take cuttings of fresh new growth from younger plants which will root more readily.
Head out into the garden nice and early when plants are full of water and the coolness allows more time before your cuttings start to wilt. Look for non-flowering shoots and remove 10cm lengths by pruning just above a bud. If you are taking several cuttings, pop them into a plastic bag as you go, sealing it to retain as much moisture as possible.
When you are ready to pot them up, trim each shoot just below the point where a leaf joins the stem – there are hormones here that will stimulate root production. Remove the lower leaves and pinch out the very soft tip. Dip the base of the cutting in hormone rooting powder (this isn’t always necessary, but I like to be sure) and pop it into free-draining compost so that the first pair of leaves are just above the surface.
Water from above and place the pot in a propagator or inside a plastic bag to create a humid environment. If you can provide bottom heat, this will help the cutting to root too, but a warm windowsill is fine – just don’t let it get so much sun that it dries out! The cuttings should be well-rooted in 2-4 weeks when they can be potted on.
I’ve reduced the lawn to a patch small enough that I can finally try and make it a perfect (this might be over-reaching) sward. I’ve already been mowing it weekly in both directions, gradually lowering the mower blades each week until I can use the lowest setting. I removed all the clippings at first, but that now much less is being taken off the top, I leave them on the lawn as a healthy mulch.
Next, I improve aeration by pushing a fork 15cm into the soil, wriggling it and heaving the soil up by a centimetre or so to reduce compaction and support root growth. I’m not fond of using chemicals if I can avoid it and the lawn is small enough that the next step, hand weeding dandelions and plantain, isn’t too much of a chore. Then it’ll be scarified – essentially raking out dead grass and moss – with a spring-tined lawn rake. This is hard work, so I bought a cheap machine version to do it far more quickly. Once done the lawn looks horrible – scraggy and raw – but will soon recover and be even healthier for it.
Whether you’ve bigger jobs like this or just a bit of pottering about in the borders, don’t forget to take time to enjoy the fruits of your labours. Happy gardening, everyone.
Dedham Horticultural Society 