6 minute read
Your garden in June
6 Come June, its pretty safe to say that the risk of frost is behind us – summer is on its way and it’s time to make sure the garden is in good shape for the summer months. The sun is shining, the birds are singing and the garden is bursting into life. This makes June a particularly busy month for the green-fingered among us with lots of planting, pruning, maintenance and weeding to do done. All our hard work is sure to be worth the effort though as we sit back and admire the onset of summer in our garden. Plant baskets and containers Now the risk of morning frost has passed, its time to plant up your containers, hanging baskets and planters. If you already had them growing in the greenhouse, or hardening off outside during the day, then It’s now safe to move them out to their summer position – choosing a sunny spot will ensure you get the best from them. Trim any excess growth to maintain shape and deadhead regularly to encourage flower growth. Water at least once a day or more frequently when it’s hot dry and windy. Regular feeding – once per week in the summer – will also help your plants to thrive. Mow lawns once a week The lawn will be growing fast now and will continue to do so throughout the summer, so a good weekly cut is essential to keep it looking neat and tidy. To make sure your lawn looks its best for summer, apply a spring fertiliser onto established lawns now.
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The essential gardening jobs for June
A good feed and a regular close cut will encourage extra growth making your lawn thick and lush. Don’t forget to reduce cutting frequency and raise mower blades if we have a drought. Care for your roses June is traditionally the month when roses are at their peak. You will need to keep an eye out for black spots and aphid attacks. Both of these will need treating immediately to ensure that too much damage doesn’t occur. Black spot is a serious disease for roses caused by a fungus which infects the leaves and reduces plant vigour, and should be treated at first sign of infection with a fungicide. Green fly are sapsucking creatures that can alter the growth of roses, also decreasing their vigour. Treat roses that are being attacked by aphids with an insecticide. Deadhead any faded rose blooms to encourage fresh buds to grow and apply a rose fertiliser after the first flowering.
Plant of the month: Rose
Why should you plant them? Roses suit all kinds of gardens –they come in huge variety of colours, shapes and scents. They can be grown in beds, borders and containers and can be grown up walls, fences and trellis. How should you plant them? Roses grown in containers can be planted all year round – check the label when buying though as their preferred spot and conditions will vary depending on the type. Dig a hole roughly twice the size of the root ball to a spade’s depth, dig in a good quality compost and fork in a general fertiliser. Plant the rose to the same depth as it was in the container, firm down and water well. Apply a rose fertiliser every spring for amazing displays of colour.
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Leading housebuilder partners with RSPB to give tips for wildlife watching in Bristol, Somerset & Gloucestershire as lockdown continues
Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes have teamed up with long-term partner the RSPB to offer tips to people across Bristol, Gloucestershire and Somerset on bringing wildlife closer to home as the lockdown is eased but set to continue.
With the majority of us remaining at home, combined with a dramatic reduction in road traffic, many people are discovering the amazing wildlife on our doorsteps, and how important our gardens, balconies and outdoor spaces are, particularly in urban areas.
The RSPB, the UK's largest conservation charity, has worked with Barratt and David Wilson Homes to offer residents a practical guide to creating wildlife friendly areas, not only in gardens, but in smaller outdoor spots too, such as doorsteps, windowsills and balconies.
The show homes at Ladden Garden Village, Yate, from Barratt and David Wilson Homes, have been given a Gold award by the RSPB for their wildlife-friendly gardens, along with Silver for Great Oldbury (David Wilson Homes), and Great Oldbury (Barratt Homes), Stonehouse and Bronze for Sunningend View, Gloucester. The Ladden Garden Village show home gardens include a hedgehog highway, bird boxes and baths, a bug hotel, lavender hedges for bees and butterflies and a raised pond with child-safe grid.
Bringing Your Garden to Life, which has been shared with Barratt and David Wilson Homes customers across Bristol, Gloucestershire and So merset this week, outlines simple tips including:
Provide food - much of which comes from plants. Select plants rich in pollen and nectar such as lavender, native honeysuckle, wallflower and summer jasmine and offer a variety of shrubs, climbers, flowers, grass and trees
Provide water - the single most wildlife rich home you can offer in anything from an upturned dustbin lid or old sink to a bird bath or full-sized wildlife pond
Provide shelter - in the form of plants and shrubs but also log piles and nesting boxes for birds, bats, bees and hedgehogs. All can be bought readymade but the Barratt RSPB Garden Guide includes lots of advice on making your own Create a wildflower meadow on a windowsill -flowers such as corn marigold, cornflower, corn cockle and poppy will provide food for beneficial insects as well as birds. They can be grown in tubs adding a splash of colour and a welcome wildlife rest-stop to even the smallest of spaces Plant up seasonal hanging baskets and pots - choose plants that are attractive to wildlife and try to include some native varieties. Include some plants that flower early and late and insects will visit in spring and autumn as well as summer. Experiment with marigolds, verbena, fuchsias, heathers, dead-nettles, ivy and nasturtiums.
