Gardener's Diary is a regular feature of Age-Net run by our Deputy Editor

Rosemary Martin

I love Herbaceous perennials. They're such good value for money because they flower for weeks, last for years and you can lift them up and divide them, thereby increasing your stock at no cost.

Garden centres are packed with fresh new season's perennials, so why not treat yourself to a shopping trip. Be a bit crafty, search around for some larger specimens, and once you get them home they can be divided to make several plants for the price of one!

I have one favourite perennial in my garden that must've originally self-seeded from elsewhere; I don't know what it is called but it is a real winner and very hardy, see photo top left of the yellow daisy.

---

Jobs for the month - June

The Kitchen Garden

The Kitchen Garden section has moved to a separate page, here...

Houseplants

By now you should have re-potted any houseplants that needed it, and checked that they are not going to get scorched in a sunny aspect. When you go on holiday put your houseplants in a part of the house that remains cool all day if possible. There are several types of capillary matting in the garden centres that you can stand the plants on, or even soaked newspaper in a bucket.

Bulbs.

Overcrowded or deteriorating bulbs can be lifted and put in boxes to dry off and be re-planted in the autumn. Don`t be tempted to cut the leaves off bulbs that have finished flowering, instead just leave them to die down naturally and feed them with a liquid fertiliser if you can.

Lawns

Mowing can become a twice weekly job at this time of year. If you didn`t give your lawn a spring "feed and weed" this is a good time of year for a summer application of fertiliser. A fine lawn really sets off any garden, see my lawn on the left.

Greenhouse

Make sure that any plants in the greenhouse have adequate ventilation and are shaded from too much sun. Maintain humidity to avoid red spider mite by damping down with the hosepipe. I do this frequently in hot weather.

Hedges

Most hedges will benefit from a trim this month and again in September. If you are using electric hedge cutters, (or any other electric gardening tools for that matter,) ensure you have an RCD device fitted for your safety. And check that there are no birds nesting in your hedge before you cut it..

Flowers for cutting

Continue training sweet peas up their supports. I have grown several clumps of sweet peas in borders this year and am training them up wrought iron obelisks and wigwams made of canes. Keep cutting flowers for the house and at the same time dead-head any faded blooms to encourage new flowers. Water newly planted out summer bedding plants until established, if we have a dry spell.

Herbaceous plants

Stake plants if they are fairly tall and feed them weekly. I use Miracle-Gro with the dispenser that attaches to the hose pipe so everything in the garden gets fed...and watch out for aphids on your plants. Keep the borders weed free and mulched.

Ponds and water features

This is still a good time to plant aquatics. New pools planted in May are now ready to stock with fish. Don`t put in too many, your local aquatic supplier should be able to tell you how many fish your pond will comfortably take, allowing for growth. If you are going on holiday get a neighbour to feed your fish.

Wildlife

The little robin on the left only has one leg yet manages to have a thoroughly nice life in our garden; it's probably my imagination but it seems to me that the other birds protect him from danger. He manages to fly around and eat from the feeders, then spends ages sunning himself, straddled across the wall.. He's been around for months now and is perfectly tame..

Birds have made nests everywhere at ours; they seem to be making up for the harsh winter and breeding like mad, in the oddest of places too, you really do have to be careful with pruning at this time of year, in case you disturb birds nests!

Warm June evenings bring out insects, and also hedgehogs who will feast on them, so entice them out with a saucer of bread and milk. Look out for Pipistrelle bats that fly around at dusk whose young will be born this month, and watch out for any young fledgling birds, but don`t try hand rearing any that have been abandoned, just put them gently in the safety of a bush - their parents may well find them.

Don`t be a slave to your garden: make the most of our short British summer by spending as much time relaxing outside as possible...