For most people, June marks the official start of summer, making it the month when they want to gather up their gardening tools to prepare for the warm months ahead.
And if you want to make sure you turn your garden into an enviable space, there are 10 jobs you should focus on, according to star gardener Ade Sellars of Life in the countryside.
These include planting flowers and fruits and protecting them by scaring away annoying pests.
During spring, many flowers come and go, leaving the edges gapped and less than perfectly defined.
But you can remedy this and add a splash of vibrant color to your garden. For fast-growing plants, opt for sunflowers that can be sown directly into the ground or bright dahlias that you can grow now that there is no frost.
Fancy adding a touch of color to your garden? Try planting some vibrant flowers like sunflowers if you want to fill in the gaps in your borders (stock image)
However, it is important to note that as temperatures rise, the risk of pesky bugs appearing in your garden also increases.
Among them are lily beetles, which you should pay special attention to if you like sunflowers. Check carefully under the prominent flower leaves and get rid of the insects as soon as you find them.
Another pest you may encounter is the red mite, which is likely to establish itself in your greenhouse, but you can combat it by keeping the space well ventilated.
The heat also means you are more likely to encounter weeds, which you will need to remove if you have fish in your pond.
It’s also time to start thinking about hardening off summer garden plants (hardening off occurs when you take plants grown indoors and acclimatize them to outdoor conditions). You can always use pots or containers if flower bed space is limited.
Ade said in Country Living: “Ensure containers do not dry out by establishing a regular watering and feeding regime.”
He added that June is also the best time to take cuttings from the tips of your chosen shrub, whether lavender, fuchsia or forsythia.
For 10cm cuttings, the gardening presenter suggested making a sharp horizontal cut under the leaves, before removing the lower leaves and buds.
Pictured are beautiful ripe red tomatoes being grown in a greenhouse (stock image)
Next, fill a pot with compost and place the cuttings, parallel to the sides of the pot, taking care to space them evenly. Place this in a greenhouse if you have one, or on a warm window sill. Water it regularly.
When lavender blooms, you can move the cuttings indoors after collecting and tying them. Place them in your bedroom if you want the clean, fresh aroma to cover your house.
To get the best harvest of tomatoes, you will need to pinch the side shoots of the tree and make sure the plant is secure and the string tomatoes are tied.
With the flowers finally on the plant, June is the time to rinse the tomatoes with weekly potash to nourish and encourage fruiting of the plant. You can also apply the same process to chilli, pepper and eggplant plants.
Also in June, roses and similar flowers will need a lot of feeding, so keep on top of a solid watering regime.
And when it comes to the pride and joy of your yard – your lawn – you should mow it weekly and trim it when necessary. Water it when temperatures are lower so that less water evaporates.
