In this month the summer begins. The garden is in full bloom. You can enjoy all the beauty, but watch out for drought. In this warm season the soil can dry out fast.
Lawn
- Mow the lawn every week or every other week.
- Keep the lawn a little longer than usual (3-5 cm (1.2-2 inches)) to prevent scorching and preferably mow in the evening.
- Cut the lawn edges.
- Feed the lawn for the second time if you have done this before in March. The lawn has to be fertilized three times a year with a three months interval.
Pruning
- Plants will start new growth after the longest day. It is best to have pruned shrubs and hedges before the longest day so that they grow new shoots again.
- Spring-flowering shrubs can be pruned after bloom.
- Do not forget to check for nesting birds before you start pruning. The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 protects bird nests so it is an offence to damage or destroy them.
- The spring-flowering Clematisses can also be pruned. Remove dead and diseased stems. It may be fiddly to untangle the stems and to find out which stem belongs where, but it is not a problem if you cut away some more than necessary.
- Cut back tender shrubs and sub-shrubs such as Fuchsia, Penstemon and Caryopteris after danger of frost has passed.
Sowing and planting
- Plants, shrubs, hedges and trees in containers can be planted all year round but it would be wise to wait until autumn with shrubs and trees. It may become quite dry which might prevent the successful establishment of your new trees and shrubs.
- Sow biennials. They will flower next year.
- Plant the seed-raised plants in the garden if you have not done that already.
- Plant out dahlias and cannas once the danger of frost has passed.
- You can still sew some fast growing, late flowering annuals directly in the garden.
Other
- Place a bowl of water for the birds and the hedgehogs.
- Remove weeds.
- Sprinkle fertiliser around the plants.
- Check if plants need extra stakes.
- Plant out summer bedding.
- Check if the ties around the trees are not too tight or too loose.
- Watch out for diseases and pests like snails, slugs, aphids and scarlet lily beetles.