The Garden in June 2025- ‘June is bustin’ out all over’
I think this month’s title just sums up the garden in June perfectly and my thanks to Rodgers and Hammerstein for giving me the line from one of their songs from the musical ‘Carousel’. This year, though, with the wonderful spring we have all just enjoyed (more sunshine than in the whole of last summer!) June seemed to arrive early and I feel that it is already with us as I write this in the second half of May. With just a glance out across the back garden I see, amongst other things, roses, foxgloves, geraniums, potentillas, geums and clematis all in full flower as well, of course, as lots of ‘May’ plants performing just as well. I must at this point give a special mention to one of these which, for us at least, has been particularly good this year- the Aquilegia. As you probably know these cross-pollinate very easily and produce lots of seedlings which next year will surprise us with a whole new range of flower shapes and colours. We also visited a garden last Sunday as part of the National Garden Scheme which was packed with ‘cottage garden plants’ in flower and looking at their very best. Yes, we definitely need a good drop of rain to keep all these plants happy and flowering well but I’m sure it will come at some stage.
Looking back through past June blogs I see that during the strange times of June 2020 I was looking to our own garden for colour and interest and I’m pleased to say that I wasn’t disappointed with perennials such as Geranium, Scabious, Centaurea, Astrantia, Digitalis and Geum to admire and enjoy as well as shrubs such as Philadelphus, Rosa, Spiraea, Cistus and Sambucus. In 2021 the blog came from the gardens at Aberglasney, the first of twelve, which included a brief history and an introduction to each of the many different areas of the gardens. In 2022 I was concentrating on one of the best June plants- the beautiful Rose with a look at the history of rose cultivation, the different types of rose and pruning times and techniques. In 2023 I was ‘Preparing for Summer Colour’ which included sections on the tender perennials which we use as ‘bedding plants’ and the herbaceous perennials which can grace our summer gardens including Dahlia, Pentstemon and Salvia, shrubs including Buddleja and Hydrangea, climbers such as rose and Clematis and finally ornamental grasses. Last year in 2024 under the title ‘Hot and Dry’, I started with my five June plants that I ‘wouldn’t want to be without’- Centaurea montana, Valeriana officinalis, Weigela, Philadelphus and Cornus kousa and florida, the flowering Dogwoods. The main section then went on to consider the effects on our gardens and plants of climate change and in particular how we gardeners can react to it.
Centaurea montana // Valeriana officinalis
Weigela // Cornus ‘Stellar Pink’
As we move this month into summer it is the sun-loving plants which tend to take centre stage and rightly so, however, most of us have a shady spot or two in our gardens which we often find more of a challenge. I like to think of such areas not as a problem but an opportunity to grow a different group of plants which may not have the colours and impact of the sun-lovers but which can definitely add to the variety and interest within the garden and bring with them a different colour palette of calming greens, white, yellows and blues. Shade gardening is so much more than just ferns and hostas which have their place but which are certainly not the only plants which will succeed in lower light levels. One thing to consider before we get onto plants is the degree of shade as this can vary enormously from full shade to just an hour or two at a certain time of day. A second consideration is whether the area is dry shade or damp shade which will clearly influence the choice of plants. Dry shade tends to be found when the shade is being cast by trees and larger shrubs which not only take a lot of moisture out of the soil in their growing processes but also prevent some of our precious rainfall from actually reaching the surface especially during the growing season when in full leaf, except of course around the edge of the canopy where what is known as drip flow helps keep the area more moist. Damp shade is also found at the base of slopes or when the shade is cast by buildings, walls or fences. Right at the base of such structures the soil may well be quite dry but away from them it is usually moist as evaporation from such shady areas is greatly reduced. In the really shady situations we gardeners need to look to the ‘woodlanders’ which have evolved to cope with the much- reduced light levels. Yes, this is where certain ferns such as Dryopteris will grow well, as do hollies in the shrub layer and spring flowering bulbs such as Bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) at ground level. Another excellent plant for this layer is one of the really tough Geraniums, G. phaeum, many varieties of which have patterned leaves for added interest such as G. phaeum ‘Samobar’. There are even some grasses which will grow in these conditions such as Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’, Milium effusum and Carex ‘Evergold’ which will light up even the darkest areas with their yellow leaves. In areas with a little more light and moisture other plants such as Hosta, Brunnera, Vinca, Lamium, Epimedium and Persicaria ‘Red Dragon’ will all do well and add extra interest, colour and texture to the planting scheme. Just one word of caution when planting up such areas, don’t forget that although these plants can tolerate and even thrive in these conditions they still need to be given a good start in life by improving the soil with some organic matter, a good watering in and an organic mulch to conserve that moisture. So, the message is that if you have a shady patch in the garden it doesn’t have to be dark and dreary because there are plants which will actually like these conditions and provide you with a very different but still attractive planting scheme. As always it is just a question of choosing the right plant for the right place!
Our shady front garden which was partly replanted last year
At this time of year, late May into early June, gardeners often consider using the ‘Chelsea Chop’. This is a classic gardening technique of cutting back certain herbaceous perennials in order to extend the flowering season as well as encouraging more compact growth, reducing the need for staking and to create more branching which leads to more flowers. It has become known as the Chelsea Chop because it is best done around the time of the Chelsea Flower Show which I’m sure we all enjoyed courtesy of the BBC’s coverage. This world famous, annual show always takes place in the second part of May but it is not too late to continue the chop into the first part of June. It works best for perennials that are naturally branching such as Phlox, Penstemon, Salvia, Sedum (Hylotelephium), Solidago (Golden Rod), Oenothera lindheimeri (Gaura), Echinacea and Aster (Symphyotrichon). It is not suitable for non-branching plants such as Iris, Lupin and Peony or on sandy, free-draining soils where summer drought can severely hamper regrowth. It is generally done by cutting back the top third of the growth with shears or secateurs and can be applied to the whole of the plant or just the front half. If you have several clumps of the same plant some can be cut back completely and others left alone. This adds variety in height and also staggered flowering times and thereby brings extra interest into beds and borders.
I think it is fair to say that last year in in our battle with slugs and snails we gardeners came out second best and we can all look back to some major disappointments! Hopefully, this year with its very different weather patterns so far, we and our plants will fare better in this seemingly eternal struggle. However, just in case we need a little help I came across an article in ‘Your Home’ May 2025- admittedly not my usual reading material- which suggested eight of the best slug and snail resistant plants. It started with a real cottage garden favourite, the wonderful Foxglove (Digitalis), with its spires of nodding, bell-shaped, patterned blooms beloved by bees. They evidently contain a chemical called digoxin in their leaves which are toxic to hungry slugs and snails. Be aware though, that some parts of the plants are also toxic to us! Number two is the stately, elegant and tall Verbascum. Our mollusc ‘friends’ find the scratchy down on the leaves hard to digest let alone move across. The third plant is our old favourite the late-flowering Japanese Anemone (Anemone x hybrida), which give us long lasting displays of pink or white flowers from the late summer into the autumn. Fourth is another late-flowering plant, Sedum (Hylotelephium), with its butterfly and bee magnet, flat flower heads but whose foliage is not palatable to slugs and snails due to the thick, waxy leaves. Next comes another old favourite, hardy Geraniums, different varieties of which are suitable for virtually all garden situations from full sun to deep shade. It is thought that the aromatic components and the rough texture of the leaves ensure that they are off the menu for our slimy guests. Next is the clump forming hardy perennial, Astrantia, with its star-shaped flowers in various shades of red, pink and white and scented foliage that repels the rasping mouth part of slugs and snails. Number seven is the leathery leaved Bergenia, a beautiful but also tough, front of border evergreen perennial often referred to as ‘Elephants’ Ears’. Finally, we end with the old cottage garden favourite, Alchemilla mollis, ‘Lady’s Mantle’. It is exceptionally drought resistant and produces a froth of soft yellow flowers over long periods and in most soils and aspects. Its low growth makes it suitable for the front of a border where it can spill over onto paths and drives. Molluscs are repelled by its soft, hairy foliage.
None of the above harm the slugs and snails, they just encourage them to dine elsewhere and I have to say thinking about our garden here in West Wales it was these plants, most of which we grow, which did well last year and certainly helped to take the eye away from those plants which didn’t fare quite as well. Perhaps these plants have actually become favoured by many gardeners partly because they are resistant to our mollusc friends. The article concluded with a section on ‘Learn to love slugs and snails’! Now for me I’m not sure that is possible but I am prepared to accept that they are an important part of the garden ecosystem and for that reason I don’t want to declare war on them. They do perform the important task of recycling dead and decaying plant material and returning nutrients back to the soil and, of course, they are also an important part of the food chain being a nutritious food source for birds, hedgehogs, frogs and toads. These natural predators can all be attracted into our gardens to help us in our battle by providing log piles, ponds, wild areas and additional food.
Well, that is all for this month but I will be back in July as part of the Old Railway Line’s Rose Festival at the end of June and into July. In the blog amongst other things I will look at some ways of helping our roses to perform at their best for as long as possible by referring to some recent research carried out across five of our very best National Trust gardens. I’m sorry to say that I won’t be able to give the June talk on Saturday 7th but Matthew and Lucy will carry on their good work from last month but I do hope to be able to give the July talk on roses at the ORL on the 5th of that month at the usual time of 10am and I hope to see you there. Until then enjoy your June gardens and don’t forget to take time just to sit, relax and admire- remember the final lines of W. H. Davies in his poem ‘Leisure’- ‘A poor life this, if full of care, we have no time to stand and care’.
Keith.