21/06/2026
As we reach the halfway mark of the year our gardens can begin to look a little gloomy.
The last of the late summer perennials have been cut down, most of the brilliant sunset shades of autumn foliage has fallen and been swept away. (Hopefully into perforated black bags to rest for 12 months resulting in the black gold that is fresh leaf mould.)
It doesn’t need to be depressing though. Sometimes you just need to change your perspective and look a little closer on your wanderings around the garden. The pared back landscape uncovers small treasures that have been hidden away during the bounteous months. Primroses that have sat in the background for months are starting to bloom, early bulbs such as the “summer” snowflake, Leucojm aestivum, began blooming a few weeks ago, Algerian Iris sports new flowers every day, and some later chrysanthemums are just beginning to wow us with their wonderful flowers.
One way to brighten your day is to plant front porch pots with instant colour spots. They bring a smile to your face on opening the front door and welcome you home with cheery colour at the end of a tiring work day. Colour spots, also known as instant colour are generally flowering annuals that have been brought on early to produce blooms ahead of the main season. They are more expensive than your usual punnet of annuals at around $3 per plant but as the name implies they make an immediate impact.
They are great to use on top of pots that have been planted with spring bulbs. The bulb leaves and flower stems will ultimately take over the flowers but by then the colour spots will have done the job they were intended to do, bridging the gap between main flowering seasons.
If you have large flowered clematis that blooms in summer now is the time to cut the thin woody stems down to 3 buds from the base. In spring you will be rewarded with stems that branch out to create a fuller display. These new stems can be left to scramble through shrubs which will have finished flowering before the clematis starts or they can be tied onto fence panels to be a feature in their own right. Some clematis suffer badly from mildew. If you spray you can include clematis in your usual rose routine to combat this.
If the birds aren’t keeping up with the snail population in your garden, and you are witnessing unacceptable damage, start up evening hunts and provide a feast for nearby chickens. Some damage is tolerable once precious plants are large enough to withstand it, however when small one nights attack can see an entire bed decimated.
The shortest day, around 22nd June, is the traditional time to plant garlic. More recent thinking and experimentation has shown that getting the cloves in the ground a little earlier can make a difference in the size of your harvest. If you haven’t planted yet waste no time in doing so.
If rhubarb crowns are old and congested now is the time to divide and replant into enriched soil.
Growth is slow in cold temperatures so there is no need to waste money on liquid feeding.
I don’t tend to plant vegetables in June as our garden doesn’t get enough sun during winter. This results in plants sitting in damp soil and bolting straight to seed once the weather warms up. A waste of money despite the punnets of fresh vegetables tempting me from garden centre shelves.
If you also share such an environment, and you haven’t got established plants growing, cover the bed with compost and bide your time. Spring and warmer temperatures will arrive soon enough.
If you are lucky enough to enjoy good sun on your veg beds you can continue to plants Asian greens, brassicas, spinach and peas during these colder weeks.
It is a good time to prepare soil for planting. Soon it will be time to plant bare root fruit trees, roses and deciduous shrubs.
Flowers seem more tolerant so I am continuing to plants pansies, primulas, polyanthus, violas, alyssum, wallflowers and poppies wherever there is space. Seeds sown at the start of autumn are ready to grow on now so there is plenty of work to do in potting sheds and glasshouses if you are lucky to have them. A bench in the garage does just as well if not.
A dear friend is moving away and as a result I have inherited her potted lily collection, minus the pots.
I really didn’t plan on adding more lilies to my garden but what was I to do? I couldn’t bare the thought of them going to the landfill which is where they were headed. Even more poignant is that I had a long standing history with some of those bulbs - I planted them for her mother many years ago and my friend had inherited them from her.
In the same manner I have a Hippeastrum bulb that has been passed down to me from my great grandmother. When it lived in my grandparents glasshouse it had a beautiful large red flower every year but never seemed to multiply. When it passed to me it flowered the first year but never since (it lives outside here). It has however multiplied generously so I will be able to hand them on to my children and possibly grandchildren one day.
Plants are great like that. They are often around for longer than we are so they can be passed from generation to generation. Such a wonderful way to remember those gone before us.
As always take time to enjoy your garden as it is but keep thinking ahead to how you would like it to be next season.
One of the greatest joys in gardening is how you can change it to look completely different from year to year. Imagine, plan and make it happen.
Happy gardening.
