June is when the garden really is at its best – especially this year it seems – when much of what would normally be flowering in May is also still going great guns. A double whammy! And I am still looking forward to seeing my peonies bloom! Usually they are done and dusted by now. There is still the zesty freshness of spring everywhere you look and the nights are long and warm.

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Cuttings

This is a great time to take cuttings of plants that are in fresh new growth but just before they flower – things like salvias and sedums which will root so easily. You will have fully rooted plants in three/four weeks time to plant out into the garden.

 

And if you have already taken cuttings and they have been growing for the last couple of weeks, you are likely to see signs of new growth both on the top in the form of new leaves and underneath the pot with white roots poking out.  At this stage, these cuttings will be ready to pot on into their own individual pots to grow on a bit more before planting in the garden.

Dahlias

Once your dahlias reach about 40cm high, it is a good time to pinch out the growing tip to make them more bushy and encourage more flower spikes to grow. It’s totally counter-intuitive (and a little bit scary!) but it really will make the most beautiful bushy plants that will flower right up until the frosts in October.

Weeds

Keep hoeing!! Weeds will be cropping up all over the place and my veg garden is no exception! If you can do this in the morning and then let the weed seedlings dry out and die in the sun, scoop them up and put them on the compost heap, that will save you the most time and effort.

Interplanting

As usual I have gone completely crazy on growing things and have very little space to put them! And what would usually be over in June is still flowering, so I am making the most of space in the veg garden by interplanting. The ranunculus bed is still going strong but I have interplanted with courgettes and squash to make the most of the space. Add in some chicken manure pellets to give the soil a boost for the next crop and water in well.  In a couple of weeks time, the ranunculus will be over and the veg flying!

 

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Follow fanatical gardener and plantaholic Georgie on instagram @georgielovestogarden