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Gardening Ideas June 2009

Post questions, comments and answers in the Gardening Ideas section on Candis Chat.

Roses burst their buds this month to put on a fabulous flush of bloom. Some of the romantic old-fashioned types and many ramblers will only perform once, while the repeat-flowering sorts will bud up again and again until the first frosts of autumn. Of course, we can help them along by dead-heading and feeding. Now is a good time to sprinkle a second lot of rose fertilizer over their roots (the first lot should have gone on in February). If you want some new roses but don't know which to choose, a June shopping spree is ideal because you can buy good potted plants in bloom, homing in on your favourite flower shapes, colours and most important, perfume. Your new roses will settle quickly into warm, well-cultivated soil as long as you remember to keep them well watered. I'm determined to visit Mottisfont Abbey Garden in Hampshire this year. Run by the National Trust, this is famous for its collection of sumptuous historic roses and I can't wait to savour their scents on a warm midsummer evening.

Clippings

...... in the kitchen garden

• plant marrows and courgette plants outside at the beginning of the month, setting them 90cm/3ft apart in rich soil. Water each in well and when they start to flower, treat them to a dose of tomato fertilizer every two weeks.
• sow salad rocket in wide drills to harvest with scissors when 10cm/4in high, but be aware that plants run up to seed fast in hot weather. Choose a shady spot, soak the drill before sowing and cover with fleece against flea beetle.
• water potted blueberries copiously during dry weather, as their roots love to be moist. Ideally, these acid-loving plants should have rain water, especially in areas where tap water is hard.

...... in the flower garden

• look at lilies every day to make sure there are no bright red lily beetles or their larvae eating them. If they are, pick them off as this is the most effective method of control.
• sow seed of foxgloves, sweet Williams and Salvia sclarea (biennial clary). Young plants can then be set out during the autumn, they'll make rosettes of growth to overwinter and fill your garden with flowers this time next year.
• plant Livingston daisies (they used to be called mesembryanthemums but are now dorotheanthus) into a neglected rock garden or sunny border. These south African daisies will dazzle you with their rainbow colours.

......and in general

• mow lawns regularly but not too short as this is the best way to keep them healthy. Individual grasses spread sideways better this way and all that mowing makes life tough for weeds.
• Keep an eye out for pests like whitefly and red spider mite under glass. As long as you have not been using strong pesticides, biological control (bugs to fight bugs) will keep them at bay (contact Green Gardener 01603 715096)
• thin fruits swelling on apples, pears, plums, peaches and grape vines. You will have fewer but bigger, better quality fruit, avoid diseases and rotting due to crowding and prevent heavy burdens weighing down and snapping branches.

Q and A

Q: I'm just starting to look after my first garden and would like to know what are the most important tools to buy.

A: A fork for loosening the soil, a spade for digging (stainless steel blades make the job easier) and a trowel for putting in small plants. If you have a lawn, then obviously a mower but also edging shears. For pruning, put a good pair of secateurs (such as Felco) and a folding saw on your next birthday or Christmas list. For veg gardening, add a rake, draw hoe and Dutch hoe.

Q: Which small ornamental grasses would you recommend to put with herbaceous perennials in a border?

A: Without hesitation, my favourite is Stipa tenuissima as it is attractive all year round, textural and reaches only 60cm/2ft high. Milium effusum 'Aureum' known as Bowles' golden grass is a similar height with tufts of soft golden leaves. Chinese fountain grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Woodside') reaches 1m/3ft and is a bit of a classic.