Thursday, June 04, 2009
June's a great month in the garden because there is such a lot to see, to sniff, to savour. The primulas and the iris are looking gorgeous, the roses are wonderfully scent-packed and already we're enjoying the benefits of 'grow your own'.
It is essential to get out there and weed as often as you can, especially if you've been giving your garden plants a bit of extra water during the drier, warmer weather - weeds seem to reap double the benefit from any attempt you make to nurture the plants you actually want!
Choose a hot day and sharpen your hoe to control annual weeds, but try to get those chunkier-rooted perennial weeds out in their entirety.
Grass, whether its a beautifully maintained sward or a rough and ready affair like mine, needs mowing fascinatingly frequently. If whilst you're mowing, you notice bare or thin patches then its still worst trying to over-seed these thin areas, but remember to rough up the soil first, apply the seed, and then re-rough it to cover the seed.
If you do this now you will have to be really vigilant about watering, or else you'll get little or no germination if the weather is dry. You can speed up the process and increase your chances of success if you germinate the grass seed before sowing it. For small areas I just pop some multi-purpose compost in a sandwich bag, moisten it and then mix in some grass seed. Once it has germinated you can apply the seed and compost mix to the roughed up bare areas. Greenfly seem to be everywhere but a bit of hand-squashing or jetting off with a jet from the hose works wonders on most infestations.
If you're growing your own then don't forget that many crops sown direct from seed will need thinning out regularly if they're not going to become too cramped. Thinnings often make good eating, so don't waste them !
Plant in pots , planters and baskets will be especially prone to dry weather damage so water these regularly and thoroughly, there's no use skimping as a less-frequent but very thorough drenching is the only real answer. Grouping pots and planters together or perhaps standing them in a slightly less sunny spot, can make the world of difference to the rate at which they dry out.
And don't forget how important it is to snatch a minute or two and soak up the sights, sounds smells and atmosphere in your garden................it's the best therapy I know !
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