The weather during May and early June was extremely hot and dry. Maybe this summer is going to be a scorcher! If this does happen we shall have to make sure that our water butts are full just in case we end up with a hosepipe ban because vegetable crops must be kept watered in dry weather and also plants growing in tubs, window boxes and hanging baskets. Using water retentive gel, such as SwellGel, certainly helps prevent these from drying out. Mulching round shrubs and trees, conifers and roses helps to conserve moisture and at the same time stops the weeds from growing. Put down landscape fabric beneath the mulch and use composted bark, bark chips, leaf mould, recycled compost and the like, as thick a layer as possible. In hot countries I have seen mulches up to 6 inches thick! Make sure that the greenhouse is shaded and is kept well ventilated and water the concrete path regularly to keep up the humidity inside. In the garden centre there will be found a selection of drip watering systems which can be used to keep greenhouse crops watered and a very simple way of watering plants in pots is to use gravel trays lined with capillary matting. Never waste water on lawns unless laying turf or sowing new grass areas. Encourage grass to become deep-rooted by not watering and cut regularly but never too short. Keep the weeds down in the garden because weeds use up moisture too. At regular intervals in the summer feed shrubs and roses with Toprose fertilizer or Vitax Q4 feed. Bedding plants can be fed with a liquid feed such as Phostrogen, Maxicrop or Miracle-Gro and tomatoes and flowering plants will need feeds of Tomorite. Roses will need to be sprayed every 3 weeks or so with something like Rose Clear to keep black spot,rust and mildew away. During July there will still be some bedding plants available should you need to do a little late planting. Spring flowering bulbs will soon be on sale but it is really too early to plant them. Container grown herbaceous plants, shrubs roses, conifers and climbers can be planted at anytime. In the vegetable garden sow late beet and cabbages and salad crops and feed regularly with Growmore fertilizer. Sow wallflowers as soon as possible. Now is a good time to take hardwood cuttings. Prune shrubs once they have flowered and trim lavenders. Cut out old canes of summer fruiting raspberries and prune soft fruit. Keep the pond and bird baths topped up in hot weather and watch out for caterpillars on nasturtiums and cabbages. Shows to visit:
The Hampton Court Palace Flower Show 7-12 July. Tickets 0844 209 1681. RHS Flower Show, Tatton Park, Cheshire, 22-26 July. Tickets 0844 209 1812 . Chenies Manor have their annual Plant and Garden Fair on 19 July. In Chipperfield on 19 July there will be four gardens to see – details under ‘Open Gardens’. Other gardens: The Abbots House, Abbots Langley, 5 July; North Mymms Park 12 July; Hyde House, West Hyde 2 August and The Barn, Stoney Lane, Bovingdon on 16 August. Terry Simmonds