Generally

If I was to give you a tip this week, I would say if you are a keen gardener, write down everything you do in the garden. This not only becomes a good source of learning but is fascinating reading just a year later if you recorded the weather! Last year we were just coming out of a heat wave and just look at this year…. hopefully we will be able to say next year that we were coming out of a rainy two months!  Watch this space……

• Cut back the faded flowers of Pulmonaria and if you do not want a border full of Aquilegia cut back the flower heads to stop seeds being dispersed along the border!
• Feed fast growing plants weekly
• Watch out for Lily Beetle and sqaush them!

Flower Garden

• Plant out dahlias into well-prepared soil that’s been enriched with manure
• Cut down pulmonarias to just above soil level after flowering to encourage new foliage
• Clip box hedging and topiary to keep it neat
• Regularly tie tall stems of delphiniums to supports to prevent them flopping over
• Scatter granular fertiliser around the base of roses, shrubs, perennials and hedges, and water in thoroughly if rain does not fall over the next week

The Fruit and Vegetable Garden

• Sow seeds of dwarf beans in rows and climbing ones alongside canes
• Plant out crops being raised in pots under glass, such as marrows, courgettes and tomatoes
• Cover soft fruits with netting to prevent birds eating them
• Sow a few seeds of salad leaves and stir-fry leaf crops every 2-3 weeks to ensure a regular supply
• Sow seeds of the following crops outside this week: beetroot, lettuce, watercress, rocket, radish, spring onions, coriander, parsley, chives, carrots, Swedes, turnip, leaf beet, spinach, cabbage, peas and mangetout, endive, marrows and courgettes, turnips and Witloof chicory
• Plant out leeks into their final position once they are pencil thick

Greenhouse

• Take cuttings from pelargoniums and fuchsias
• Repot rooted cuttings into containers a size larger, to prevent them from becoming pot-bound
• Check plants regularly for signs of pests
• Pinch out the tips of rooted cuttings to encourage bushy plants

Well I’m off to the Chesea Flower Show this week. See you next week.