June is perhaps my favourite month in the garden. The first month of summer brings those long days as we celebrate the summer solstice. The temperature is warming up nicely and everything starts to fill out and bloom, looking its lush best. Think peonies, hydrangea, foxgloves, lavender, clematis and roses all in flower in the late evening sun and you know it is June!
At the start of June this year, we will celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee marking 70 years since she took the throne. The simplest way to make a patriotic looking plant display is to use summer bedding plants in red, white and blue. We sell bedding plants individually in small pots or in packs of 6. Stuck for choice? We sell colour co-ordinated mixed packs ready to plant or if you are really stuck, why not just buy a pre-planted hanging basket or container.
Bedding plants can be planted in containers, hanging baskets or traditionally straight into borders to fill gaps or create blocks of colour or patterns. Simple displays often make more of an impact, so group several plants of one colour or variety together. They start small, but very quickly fill out in the warm weather. Remember to keep them watered, especially those in containers. Deadheading the old flowers will encourage more blooms to grow throughout the summer. These fast growing, hungry plants will appreciate a feed too giving them extra nutrients they have absorbed from compost they are planted in. A multipurpose fertiliser or even a tomato fertiliser from the Garden Centre will do the trick once every week or so.
In the edible garden, tender vegetables such as squashes, French beans, tomatoes and peppers can be planted out now. Pinch out the side shoots from tomatoes as they grow and remember to start feeding them once the first truss starts setting fruit. Lettuce, radish and early potatoes should be ready to be harvested now. Keep an eye on your onion and garlic as when the leaves start to yellow and die back, they can be harvested too.
Pinch out side shoots from tomato plants as they grow
Further jobs for June include weeding, weeding and more weeding. Just as June brings out the best in the plants we want in our garden, conditions are ideal too for the weeds. Keep borders hoed regularly to keep tiny seedings from growing bigger. Spring flowering climbers such as clematis montana or flowering shrubs such as lilac can be pruned now flowering has finished.
Clematis in flower
Enjoy June and the rest of the summer in your gardens!
Big Garden Birdwatch 2026 – Get Ready to Count your Garden Birds Every winter, gardens across the UK come alive with fluttering wings, cheerful calls and the unmistakable excitement of the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch. With the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch just around the corner, now is the perfect time to start preparing your garden […]
Few plants signal the arrival of Christmas quite like the poinsettia. Their bold red, cream or pink bracts instantly bring warmth and colour to homes during the festive season. However, behind their vibrant appearance lies and interesting history. Read on to find out more along with some care tips to keep them looking their best […]
Summer is a time of abundance in the garden. Whether you’re nurturing colourful flower beds, harvesting homegrown vegetables or simply enjoying the long warm evenings, there’s much to love about this time of year. At The Barn Garden Centre, we’re here to help you get the best from your garden all summer long. 1. Water […]