June is a good month for Englishmen garden. This month the garden bursts into a glorious blaze of colour. Herbaceous perennials take center stage and, from humble geraniums to showy lupines, cottage garden plants come into their own. Some need more cosseting than others, so here are a few useful low-maintenance plants that thrive in full sun and can tolerate drought once established.
June gardens retain fresh green springThe best herbaceous plants are just starting to flower yet, so color levels are at their peak. Poppies are blooming, roses are blooming and the first sweet peas are appearing. June is all about boosting growth, supporting plants – and most importantly weeding. In fact, I’d say it’s a big month to keep on top of weed. My flower borders are very densely planted, which fortunately means weeds are few and far between. But in the vegetable garden I try to go between all the rows of vegetables at least once a week. If you remove annual weeds as soon as they appear, you will save a lot of time later.
Another important thing to continue this month is deadheading roses. If you don’t deadhead, the plant will think it’s going to seed, and it will put all its energy into making rose hips instead of more flowers. So cutting off spent blooms is very important, especially for modern repeat bloomers that will keep blooming all summer long if you deadhead them properly.
June is traditionally the month to cut topiary, but if it’s too hot or too wet, it’s better to delay. This is especially true of box plants, as cutting them in unfavorable conditions can make them susceptible to blight. If the conditions are right, it’s a job I like to do, using hand shears and cleaning up as I go.
