June in the Garden with Glendoick's Kenneth Cox
Glendoick’s Ken Cox advises: Best plants for June
1. Bedding Plants for long summer colour
June is the last last chance for pack bedding, the cheapest way to plant containers and borders with colourful annuals which will flower all summer long. You can get larger pot bedding later but it is more expensive.
Lobelia, Nasturtium, Petunia, Begonia, Marigold, Tagetes, Gazania, Geranium and lots more...
bright coloured Nemesia and Diascia are long flowering and excellent in containers.
2. Roses
June is the favourite month for choosing them as the buds are forming and you can see the first flowers.
Patio roses
are in now: smothered in opening buds, compact and ideal for containers, they should flower for weeks.
3. Bellflowers, Campanula
From giant perennials to tiny alpines, the bell flowers are coming into flower this month. In purple, blue, pink and white shades. They are mostly tough and easy to please. The tiny ones are great in the rockery or troughs while the largest can be grown in woodland, at the back of borders. Try 'Lodden Anna' for a large growing lavender.
4. Summer alpines
The burst of Spring alpine plants is over but there are lots of alpines which flower well into the summer. Helianthemums come in red, orange, salmon, pink and white and they love hot sunny situations.
5. Early Hydrangeas Hydrangeas start coming into flower in June and can provide colour for 3-4 months, even the old flower heads are attractive in winter. An amazing range of colours in now available.
6. Hardy Geraniums
Not to be confused with the tender ones used in tubs and baskets, these tough easy plants are so useful for running around under or between other shrubs. Choose from a wide range of sizes and colours. The best of all is 'Rozanne' recently voted Chelsea plant of the 20th century. Amazing colour and it flowers for up to 6 months. Lot of others are equally worth growing.
7. Coloured leave spectacular with Physocarpus and Sambucus.
These very tough vigorous shrubs have white or pink flowers in summer but are mainly grown for their amazing coloured leaves.
Very easy and you can cut them back if they get too big.
8. Dianthus (pinks, carnations)
Mat and cushion-forming plants, with narrow greyish leaves. Single/double flowers in summer, most with a sweetly clove scent. Excellent in pots, between paving stones, in raised beds, and with flat stones placed beneath their foliage. Mix grit and sand into the planting compost but use little or no fertiliser. Deadheading or cutting for the house prolongs flowering; trim after flowering to keep compact. Avoid heavy/clay or very wet soil as they hate it!
