June, the month of weeding and watering. The official end of spring and – hopefully no fear of frost. Time of the longest day (we avoid the fateful ticking of the summer garden clock). The weeks of the first harvest.
No more holding back, almost everything can now go into the ground. Time for the tender plants – tomatoes, aubergines, cucumbers, chillies – to find their home outdoors. Zucchini and pumpkin can be sown outside. The same with French beans and runner beans. It’s already (sorry) late for main crops – carrots, summer beetroot, peas and snow peas. Also your last best chance to sow soft herbs like basil, dill, chervil, parsley, coriander. Time is passing quickly now. There is much to do. Making hay, as they say, in the sunshine.
Remember to watch out for leaves: Swiss chard and beets. Start by sowing the orientals: mustard, mibuna, mizuna. Find a sheltered, shady spot for lettuce. Think about starting a bed for kale.
Plant corn in blocks for successful pollination. Fill in the gaps in the cut with quick arugula and radishes.
Look at flowers. I prefer marigold for its beauty and for the accompanying planting. It attracts the good predators. Keep an eye out for cabbage white flies and caterpillars, black flies, whitefly, aphids, nudibranchs and slugs. Check protection for the carrot fly even though we gave up defeated.
Ground the potatoes. Soft fruit should come now. If possible, use the longer days. We come by early in the morning or later in the evening to sow and water and weed. Often both on the same day.
Pay attention. Exercise your peas and beans on their monkey bars, even sweet peas if you have them.
June is the magical garden month. Your food and flowers will start rolling. However, try to remind yourself to stop. Sit, look, listen and don’t do much. Just walk around, stroke a plant, vacuum everything up. Be grateful. Happy Days.
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