Summer garden

Flaming June is here and, fingers crossed, it’s the time to sit back, soak up the sunshine and enjoy the fruits of your labour, says our green-fingered expert Adam Kirtland

After a somewhat wet spring, is summer finally here? Let’s hope so! Summer is that time of year when I like to think that we can sit back and start to enjoy the fruits of our labour, the flowers are blooming and your crops are getting bigger as the days go on. But if you’re itching to keep going (just like me) then here are a few things to be getting on with this month.

Fill gaps with luscious lilies

Elevate your garden borders effortlessly with bursts of instant colour by strategically placing pots of tall bulbs. Incorporate the simplicity of this technique as you fill those empty spaces with the vibrant blooms of fragrant lilies, gaps will be appearing and adding the odd pot or two here and there can improve a border effortlessly.

Imagine the delight of watching as these tall, graceful stems emerge from their pots, reaching towards the sky, decked with delicate yet show-stopping flowers. Scented lilies, with their captivating fragrance and elegant petals, are sure to charm the senses and become the focal point of your garden borders. What’s more, this approach is perfect for beginners, requiring minimal effort and expertise.

Simply select a variety of lily, plant them in pots, and position them cleverly in your borders to fill any gaps you find. With just a few pots of tall bulbs, you can easily breathe new life into spaces that would otherwise be empty. Lilies are a relatively new addition to our garden and I used to think they were old-fashioned but once you accept that they give you not only colour, but scent too then they’re a real winner.

Feed for maximum growth

Revitalise your garden with a seaweed-based garden feed. It’s a simple yet effective way to nourish your plants and promote lush growth. Just follow the instructions on the bottle to dilute the seaweed concentrate, then water it around the base of your plants. This natural solution is teeming with nutrients straight from the ocean, providing your garden with everything it needs to thrive.

Seaweed feed is suitable for all types of plants throughout the entire growing season. Not only does it enrich the soil, but it also boosts plant resilience against pests and diseases, ensuring a healthy garden year-round. What’s more, seaweed feed is environmentally friendly, making it a sustainable choice for gardeners who care about the planet. By incorporating this natural feed into your gardening routine, you can nurture your plants while minimising your environmental impact.

Its especially important to feed pots as over time, the benefits and nutrients added to the compost will wear thin and this additional feed with keep containers looking fresh, hopefully for the rest of the season.

A lawn to die for!

Keep your lawn looking its best with regular mowing sessions that are as easy as a walk in the park. As the summer sun shines bright, your lawn will practically grow before your eyes and some summers it’ll need a trim every week. But don’t feel like you need to turn it into a marathon! Break it down into manageable chunks, perhaps tackling a section at a time, making sure to maintain and even length across the whole space.

Remember, variety is the spice of life – or in this case, the key to a healthy lawn! While mowing regularly helps keep things tidy, leaving some parts wild adds a touch of natural beauty to your garden. Allow wildflowers to flourish in certain areas, providing a haven for pollinators and adding a splash of colour to your garden. Wildflower patches are actually notoriously tough to get going, but if you stick with it then you could create something really rather special.

How about it, will you keep ‘No Mow May’ going on into June too?

Follow Adam on Instagram @viewfromthepottingbench and listen to his podcast Tales from The Potting Bench for more gardening inspiration. You can also read Adam’s blog at viewfromthepottingbench.com