June 2015 Newsletter

We’ve had such a ‘stop/start’ spring this year, that I for one will be very glad if June settles into rather more predictable weather, so that we can start to relax and enjoy our gardens and open spaces, without having to take wet weather gear, umbrellas and thick coats, as well as sun cream and sunglasses, out with us! Having hail in late May is NOT something we enjoyed at the centre recently … in just a few minutes a lot of damage was done to some of the softer plants, and young trees. That is the nature of the weather in the UK though, so we just have to grin and bear it.

However, things do seem to be a bit more settled now, and we’ve had some lovely warm days since then, so let’s hope it’s an indication of a great summer to come.

So, what have we got in for you in terms of plant stock? Here’s an edited list of highlights ….

• Fruit trees, herbs and vegetables – if you don’t think you have room to grow them in your garden, think again. We still have a few specimen fruit trees which are grown on dwarf fruit stock, so will never grow more than a few metres in height, meaning that even if you only have a pocket-handkerchief-sized garden, you should be able to squeeze one in. Otherwise, what about a pot of blueberries, strawberries or just some tomatoes and basil to make your own pasta sauce with? For those with a shady garden, pick up our handy list of vegetables that you can grow if you don’t have full sun!
• David Austin roses – we have shrubs, climbers, ramblers and standards. They have all put on a massive amount of growth in the last few weeks and are starting to look spectacular. I wouldn’t be without the heady evening scent of my ‘Munstead Wood’ shrub rose carefully positioned near the bench at the back of my garden … heaven!
• Cornus – these glorious large shrubs/small trees never cease to take my breath away. There are only a couple left, so don’t dawdle if you want one.
• Hydrangeas – in a wealth of colours, from the blowsier pink, blue or red varieties, to the more subtle white and green varieties, such as ‘Annabelle’ or ‘Limelight’. These flowering shrubs are particularly useful for shadier gardens, where it can be hard to get colour and ‘oomph’ … I’ve got four of them in my little North facing plot.
• Evergreen shrubs – whether you choose an Azalea, Choisya, Pittosporum or something else, they are all in full new growth and looking vibrant.
• Summer bedding – a splash of colour for any part of the garden, or in pots and window boxes. As well as the ‘patio packs’, we have lots of individual plants in small pots in a wide range of varieties and colours.
• Ornamental trees – come and see the Robinias! They are looking amazing with their fresh vibrant leaves, and some are also flowering. We also have some lovely silver birches (always a favourite), glorious arching standard Cotoneaster just coming into flower, Malus just setting fruit, Sorbus and much more besides.
• Herbaceous perennials – so many to choose from, it’s impossible for me to mention just a few! But if you really twist my arm, I’d have to pick out the Delphiniums, Iris, Digitalis (Foxgloves) and Geums. Some of these featured heavily at Chelsea this year, and it’s no surprise that our grower also grew for one of the gardens there, for the 3rd year running.

Apart from plants, the other things that most of you seem to be asking about or needing at this time of year are pest killers and repellents.

Snails and slugs are always a problem in spring and early summer, making it hard for those of us who want to garden as organically as possible to know what to do. This year, I’ve taken a triple pronged approach:

• Early on I used ‘slug bait’, which is certified for organic use, even though it kills rather than deters slugs and snails. Using it early in the year slowed the reproduction rate down of the snail and slug population, making the survivors easier to deal with.
• I have done all I can to encourage birds into the garden. Not only are they a joy to watch but they help in the war against slimy pests by eating them (as well as the mountains of bird food I put out) I keep a large flat stone clearly visible underneath the bird feeder, which the birds use to bash the shells of snails open with, thus enabling them to get to the juicy snack inside. (As an aside, the new ‘Squirrel Buster’ bird feeder I’ve been using is fabulous. Great fun watching the squirrels get frustrated by not being able to get at the seed, which they can see the birds ARE able to get at!)
• I’ve been keeping my tiny pond as healthy and happy as possible, and it’s well stocked with frogs and newts. They are happy to gobble up slugs and are really helping to keep the numbers down. I planted a sacrificial Hosta near the pond, thus attracting slugs and snails to that area, making it as easy as possible for the frogs to get them.

The other bane of my life, in pest terms, is the massive local cat population. I have a cat myself, so I don’t want to make my garden a complete ‘no go’ area, but it is horrible to constantly be clearing up the mess left by neighbouring cats, or getting a whiff of something really very nasty just as I sit down to relax and enjoy what should be delightful garden scents. This is a particular issue for those of us with smaller gardens, and I haven’t yet found the ideal solution. I keep a water sprayer outside the back door, and fire off a stream at uninvited visitors if I can. I use ‘Silent Roar’ at key strategic points on the boundary to try to deter visiting cats from entering my space, and have started putting cat repellent gel down in areas that seem to be a particular interest. These measures seem to be working … I’ll keep you posted.

I don’t have this problem myself, but I know that for a lot of you foxes are the greatest pest. The best solution we can offer is a product called ‘Scoot’, which many of our customers have reported works wonders in keeping foxes away. Each packet will cover an area of approximately 35sq metres, and is a natural and completely safe product, without causing harm to flora, fauna or the environment.

Last word on the subject of pests ….

We all want to ensure our plants aren’t damaged by aphids and other bugs, but please, PLEASE remember to be responsible when using any sort of chemical spray. We all have to use them from time to time, but only use them when conditions are very calm, so that the spray won’t be carried on the wind and potentially kill beneficial insects too, such as ladybirds and bees. They are having a tough enough time as it is!

I hope you have a lovely month, and look forward to seeing you soon.

Kind regards

Karen

Garden jobs for
June 2015

Summer has arrived but it's been feeling a little cold hasn't it?  The long days are to be enjoyed, however, and there's so much to get involved with in the garden in the fantastic month of June.

My top 2 jobs for June

1. The first is multiple advice - feed, weed, stake and water! Regular attention to the basic jobs will help things to look their best for a long time ahead.

2. Now the soil is warm, sow and plant annual crops and flowers - there is such a fantastic choice of summer bedding plants, and lots of shrubs and herbaceous perennials are happy to be planted now too, for immediate impact and to look forward to later in the year.

Plant and garden maintenance

• Cut back early flowering perennials such as Geranium phaem, Brunnera, Tellima, Pulmonaria and others hard to the ground once the flowers have gone over, and you will soon have fresh new leaves. Water well and it won't be long before new growth appears.
• Cut out stems of variegated plants such as Euonymus and Elaeagnus which have reverted.
• Now is the time to prune late winter and spring flowering shrubs such as Wiegela, flowering currants and forsythia. Cut a few stems down to ground level, and the remaining to a healthy new shoot. Next year's flowers will develop on the new growth.
• It's not too late to stake tall herbaceous plants - do it now before delphiniums, lilies, and peonies lean too far with the weight of their blooms, especially after heavy rainfall. If you can't fit a specific support in place, bamboo canes, cut to size, and string will do the job well.
• Trim topiary, to keep it looking smart and to maintain the shape. Choose a cloudy day so that the leaves don't go brown with leaf scorch, and remember to feed and water afterwards.
• Keep on top of weeds. Pulling out or hoeing annual weeds while they are small is well worth it. On a hot day you can leave them and they will wither on top of the soil. Perennial weeds are another matter, and must be removed completely, with nothing left of the root. Alternatively use a glyphosate gel or spray to treat invasive weeds such as bindweed and ground elder, being careful to avoid drift onto garden plants. A clear plastic bag over the treated weed will speed the process.
• Continue planting summer containers - there are lots of annuals to choose from, or why not use some perennials which will come up year after year.
• Fill gaps in the border with plants which will perform in the next few months. Planted well, they will establish happily.

Watering and feeding

• Watering - be aware of the plants which need more water, including those recently planted, young vegetables and plants in containers. If we experience drought conditions, remember that it's much better to really soak plants a couple of times a week than to spray a little water everywhere each day. Small amounts of water encourage roots to come to the surface which makes plants even more vulnerable in dry conditions, so, always make sure water soaks right down to the deeper roots.
• All new compost has sufficient nutrients to feed plants for up to 6 weeks, but thereafter you should get into a routine of feeding when you water. This is especially important for plants in containers, which can't send their roots further into the soil. Very old bottles of fertiliser may not have the necessary oomph, so treat the garden to a good fertiliser and your plants will perform much better.

Edibles

• Pinch out side shoots on tomatoes, so that you only have one main growing stem. A few varieties, such as 'Totem', don't need this treatment. Once the first truss of tomatoes has formed, start feeding with Tomorite or similar high potash feed.
• Avoid using insecticides on crops when they are in flower.
• Water potatoes well if the weather is dry. Early potatoes should be ready to harvest soon. Look out for the first flowers, and once they have opened, your spuds should be ready.
• Runner beans and climbing French beans can be sown or planted outside, as well as squash, courgettes and sweet corn. Leeks should be planted out when they are pencil thick.
• Blueberries and cranberries growing in pots need to be kept moist at all times, preferably with collected rainwater.
• Tie in raspberry and blackberry canes.
• Watch out for the June drop which is the process of fruit trees naturally shedding surplus amounts of fruit. You should remove any damaged or misshapen fruit, and if there is a lot of fruit remaining after the natural fall, remove some more by hand. What's left will be better quality and the tree will have more energy.

Herbs

• Herbs remain a very popular group of plants, not surprisingly as they generally look and taste fabulous!
• Try to give herbs the conditions they require: sunny spots for Mediterranean type herbs such as rosemary, thyme, sage and lavender; green leafy herbs such as mint, parsley, and coriander will be happy in semi shade.
• When harvesting herbs, always cut a sprig or stem and then strip the leaves off to use them. This way, the plant will reshoot from where it's been cut. If you simply strip leaves off the plant, you will have brown dying stems and an unsightly plant!
• Some herbs such as coriander, basil, rocket, borage and parsley can be grown from seed in successive sowings, ensuring that as one crop goes to seed, the next is supplying fresh green foliage.
• Cutting some herbs such as mint, rocket, coriander to the ground will prompt fresh growth to extend the harvesting season.

Remember too that herb flowers encourage beneficial insects into the garden. The flowers are normally edible, and can add lovely colour and flavour to salads etc.

Lawns

• It's best to mow the lawn at least once, preferably twice a week at this time of year. The less grass removed at each cut, the healthier the grass will be. If we hit a dry spell, reduce the frequency of cutting and raise the mowing height.
• Recently laid or sown lawns should be watered regularly in dry periods.

Pests and diseases

• Mildew - some plants are particularly susceptible to mildew such as Pulmonaria, roses and honeysuckle. Remove and dispose of all affected leaves and stems. Improve watering, feeding, and, if possible, air circulation around the plant. If necessary, treat with an appropriate fungicide.
• Protect vulnerable plants from slugs and snails. Dawn and dusk outings wearing gloves and carrying a bucket, and then dousing the collected molluscs with salt, can reduce the populations dramatically. Slug pellets or bait, should be used sparingly - follow the instructions on the pack. Using a straw mulch such as Strulch, will deter slugs and snails.
• Keep an eye out for aphid infestations - it's much easier to control if caught early. Squish them, or use an insecticide. Always use sprays carefully, in the evening when fewer beneficial insects are active, and choose a time when there isn't a breeze.
• Bright red lily beetle and bronze/green striped rosemary beetle can do a lot of damage in a short space of time, so keep an eye out for them. Provado is the only pesticide recommended by the RHS as effective against these bugs. Read the instructions before using on edible crops.

Wildlife

• Birds need constant supplies of food and water as they raise their young, so keep feeders and bird baths topped up.
• Give birdbaths a regular scrub to prevent the spread of disease.
• Don't trim hedges or prune shrubs until you are sure any bird nests are empty.
• Vary the length of grass around the garden to encourage different groups of wildlife: birds will find insects if the grass is short, longer grass may allow bee friendly lawn weeds such as clover to flower.

I hope that's given you some ideas but, most importantly, I hope that you enjoy some warm weather in your outside spaces in the month to come.

Sally