Gardening jobs for June

As summertime starts to bloom its time to get on top of the garden. The growing season is a very busy time for the green fingered among us.

But not everyone is that keen on gardening. That’s when some low maintenance options come in handy.

Here are the top 10 tasks for the garden this month according to the Royal Horticultural Society:

1. Hoe your borders regularly to keep on top of the weeds
2. Take care with water usage, especially during dry spells
3. Pinch out side shoots on tomato plants
4. Harvest salad plants like lettuce, radish and early potatoes
5. Put out your hanging baskets and patio containers
6. Mow lawns at least once a week
7. Plant out summer bedding
8. Stake all tall, floppy plants
9. Prune Spring flowering shrubs
10. Add shading to greenhouses to avoid scorching plants and to keep them cool during hot weather

There is plenty of extra advice for summer growing on the RHS website.

If gardening is not your thing but you still want to enjoy your outdoor space, there are some low maintenance options:

• Plenty of patio paving
• Take a minimal approach and use unfussy sturdy plants
• Section off a wild area of the garden where you let the grass and weeds grow to provide a wildlife habitat
• Consider adding a water feature
• Use shrubs on borders instead of seasonal bedding plants
• Spread mulch or wood chips on beds to supress weeds and keep moisture in the soil
• Plant some hardy perennials such as lavender - it’s good to look at, requires less work and is great for bees, butterflies and moths
• Hardy evergreen shrubs are a great choice because they require little care once established
• If the lawn is getting too much, be more relaxed about weeds and don’t worry about collecting clippings - maybe even consider laying artificial turf!

Again, the RHS has some good advice on how to develop and care for a low maintenance garden.

Whatever you choose, we hope you enjoy your summer.