The summer is approaching. The bulbs are fading and the planting out bedding can begin.
Lawn
- You can still fertilise the lawn if you have not done that last month.
- Mow the lawn every week at about 3-3,5 cm (1,2-1,4 inches) and cut the edges.
- Bare patches still can be re-sown.
- You can still sow a new lawn. Do not walk or mow newly sown grass until it reaches a height of 5-7.5 cm (2-3 inches). At that time you can give it a light trim at the highest setting.
Sowing and planting
- When the danger of frost has passed you can plant out cannas and dahlias and the already sown plants.
- You can sow annuals and biennials directly in the garden.
- You can lift and divide clumps of perennials.
- You can order and plant summer flowering bulbs.
- Plants, shrubs, hedges and trees in containers can be planted all year round.
Pruning
- Prune evergreen hedges and shrubs. 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.
- Cut back tender shrubs and sub-shrubs such as Fuchsia, Penstemon and Caryopteris after danger of frost has passed.
- Prune spring-flowering shrubs after bloom.
- 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.
- Deadhead tulips and daffodils so that the leaves can put all the energy in the bulb for next year’s flowers. Do not cut the leaves. Let them die down naturally.
Other
- Remove weeds.
- Tie the main canes of climbing roses as near as horizontal as possible. This will stimulate the growth of side shoots which will result in more flowers.
- Watch out for diseases and pests like snails, slugs, aphids and scarlet lily beetles.
- Put supports in place for plants that need them before they are too tall.
- Check if the ties around the trees are not too tight or too loose.
- Mark the spots where the spring flowering bulbs are if you want to keep them. Otherwise you may damage them if you plant new plants later in the year.
- Place a bowl of water for the birds and the hedgehogs.