June makes gardening look leisurely . If the heat and humidness hold off , we ’ll barely have to break a sweat to accomplish the most pressing tasks : to stop and reek the roses and accept compliments . But a few accession to the to - do list will reward you with a bumper crop of knockout well into the more challenging calendar month of high summertime and fall .
straighten up drop fountain - light bulb foliage . We know to impart Narcissus pseudonarcissus foliage alone to photosynthesize and course the medulla oblongata . But once it has yellowed , it has done its Book of Job and should yank out easily . Even if it ’s still green , you’re able to cut it off safely at the footing six weeks after bloom .
Lift tulip bulbs . Most tulip bulbs diminish in sizing and bloom power after a pair of seasons and may be treated differently from other leaping - blossom bulbs . Lifting tulip will open blank space perfect for planting tender perennials and/or inseminate seed annuals . Use a digging fork to get under the bulb and lever them to the aerofoil . Cut off stems and foliage , and fan out the bulbs out to dry out for a couple of days before storing them in paper bagful down in the root cellar for the summertime for replanting — or replacing — in free fall .
works Dahlia pinnata genus Tuber or sprouted start now . Set Dahlia pinnata ( Dahliaspp . and cvs . , Zones 7–11 ) tubers horizontally about 4 inches below the soil ’s surface , with their centre to the sky . If no sprouted eye are visible , do n’t worry ; they ’ll find their way . If you started your Dahlia pinnata in containers , gently release them and plant them to the same profoundness as they were in the pot . Pound stakes in alongside any dahlias that will postulate documentation later in the season . For a less structured , wild look , use small - calliper branches saved from early spring tree pruning .
Sow annual . Sow a succession of quick - to - germinate semen annual such as zinnias ( Zinniaspp . and cvs . ) and cosmos ( Cosmosspp . and cvs . ) every week or two into July for changeless color from August into surrender . Water daily , particularly prior to germination , and cover with a light scrim of mulch to prevent evaporation .
Mulch your beds . diffuse a thicker level of mulch ( 1 to 2 column inch ) over any bare grime after planting to conserve moisture throughout the hot and driest days of summer . fend off using bark mulch in the garden because it becomes heavy and hydrophobic over clip and suppress seed sprouting . Shredded leaves reserve new growth to emerge and rain to penetrate , and they eventually intermit down to add organic topic to the soil . Buckwheat - hull mulch is a lightweight , graceful option for gardeners with room in their budget . Aside from disbursal , buckwheat hulls ’ only liabilities are their susceptibility to high winds and washout on sloped gardens .
Replace spring container plantings with a summertime display . strain one works or species per pot , which will tolerate you to easily rotate bloomers in and out of the spot . If your predilection is for mixed containers , grouping plants with interchangeable cultural requirements ( sun and wet ) for optimal health , and resist the urge to overplant .
June is fabulous , but do n’t have it win the contest for in force month ever . A minuscule planning onwards and attention to contingent now will extend your garden ’s efflorescence well beyond summer . ( My money ’s on September . )
— Kristin Green is the writer ofPlantiful : Start pocket-sized , mature Big With 150 plant That Spread , Self - Sow , and Overwinter . She gardens in Bristol , Rhode Island .
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My front-yard garden in June is blooming with white lace (Orlaya grandiflora, annual), ‘Walker’s Low’ catmint (Nepeta racemosa‘Walker’s Low’, Zones 4–8), and an unknown climbing rose draped over ‘Goldflame’ Japanese spirea (Spiraea japonica‘Goldflame’, Zones 4–8). Photo:Kristin Green
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Even if your spring bulb foliage is not totally brown, it’s OK to cut it back after six weeks or more after flowers have finished blooming.Photo: Kristin Green
Late-blooming ‘Pittsburgh’ tulips (Tulipa‘Pittsburgh’, Zones 3–8), which are just past bloom, were popped out of the garden to make way for summer plantings of annuals and tender perennials at Blithewold Mansion, Gardens, and Arboretum in Bristol, Rhode Island.Photo: Kristin Green
These dahlia tubers are sprouting their eyes on a bed of dampened potting soil prior to planting.Photo: Kristin Green
Sprouting zinnias begin to peek out from mulch.Photo: Kristin Green
I mulched this bed of staked dahlias with shredded leaves, which allows more water penetration than other mulch options.Photo: Kristin Green
Bazil the dog supervises the watering of these summer container displays.Photo: Kristin Green
