Are you thinking whether to get a garden shed? There are a few things to think about first. First of all, wood or metal. The second thing is, do you buy or build it yourself? You can learn from my mistakes, keep reading and find out the best option for you.

When I first made a decision to get a new garden shed I made the mistake of ordering a ‘build it yourself’ premade metal shed. It took me around a day to construct and I knew right from the start it probably was not going to be the shed I wanted.

After I had built it I tried to convince myself that it would do the job. The sliding metal doors made such a horrible noise when closing them and even though I had bolted all of it down to the ground it still didn’t feel extremely safe.

It was not till one or two days later I realized that some of my tools and appliances were wet. As I looked up at the roof I realized it was damp. Condensation; the entire roof was covered with condensation which didn’t vanish till late afternoon by which time as soon as the sun had gone down it was already beginning to come back.

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At least there is one thing you have now got out of the way and that is planting, and planting out. There is little planting to be done now summer is here, other than tipping out a few plants in containers bought from the garden center.

Deadheading is an important job this month, and needs to be given more care than it usually gets. Deadheads should not be just pulled off leaving ugly beheaded stems behind; secateurs do the job more cleanly and the stem should be cut back to a leaf or leaves. This is an important point and often ignored by your everyday gardener.

Weeding takes time and it is important to hoe and get rid of the ‘unwanted plants’, for they take as much moisture and nutrition from the soil as the ‘wanted’. But don’t stay put like a hairpin for the entire weekend; find other jobs that will straighten you up!

Wallflowers should be sown this month. Late sowing is often responsible for poor spring displays. The seed bed should be given a sprinkling of lime and the seedlings transplanted after the appearance of the third leaf.

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Hopefully summer is now in full swing, so bedding plants should now be in position and tucked up with a little peat and fertilizer. Herbaceous plants are growing fast and should be encouraged by light feeding. If slugs are troublesome, a metaldehyde bait should be put down. Rock plants, saxifrages, aubrietas, and sedums, can be divided.

Cuttings of pinks should be inserted in sandy soil. Weedkillers should be used on paths when the weather is settled. Iris fans should make a point of visiting specialist nurseries and growers for ordering now; mid-July is the best time for iris planting. Shrubs and roses brought into the house for early flowering should now go back to the garden. The Indian azalea should be found a place in the semi-shade, and given an occasional evening syringe with water. Any shrubs grown from seed should be hardened off and plunged rim-deep in a bed of ashes or a slightly shaded part of the garden.

Roses for local shows should be disbudded and fed with dry blood. Look out for the damasks, brought to Europe by the Crusaders for attar scent, the moss roses with their green and wine-red trimmings and the beloved gallicas, because these distin­guished groups flower only this month and next.

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Not too hot, not too cold are the weather hallmarks for June in Southern California. The moderate weather is just what most plants and trees need for rapid growth.

Planting Window For Tropicals: June is the time to plant or transplant tropicals such as palms, banana trees, ferns, ginger, hibiscus, orchids and bougainvillea. Don’t wait until the hot summer months. Mild weather reduces the stress of planting or transplanting.

Transplant Trees: Properly transplanting a tree is often the key to its future health. First, dig a hole at least twice a large as the tree’s root system. Set the tree in the hole and position it properly. Fill the hole with a mixture of soil conditioner and soil. Press firmly on the soil and water deeply and thoroughly. The soil should be moist at all times for the first three to four weeks following transplanting. Apply a two to three inch layer of mulch around the trunk (but not touching the trunk) to keep in moisture and the soil cool.

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We seldom get a flaming June, but the sun will be at its strongest, and this is often the driest month of the year.

Temperatures rise from time to time to 27°C. (81°F.) in the afternoons, but unfortunately thunderstorms have the habit of abruptly ending the fine summer spells.
Roses are said to be the epitome of June but the month is surely shared with the cottager’s paeony. I like the way when picked their massive heads disintegrate on the table with a loud bang when their day is done.

Watering becomes more demanding and those who have not been able to mulch the newly planted will have to work overtime with the hose once the sun has gone down.

Weeds too will grow apace: it pays to keep the hoe moving. Paraquat and other effective weed-killers lighten the work of the modern gardener.

Staking is essential: a sudden storm can play havoc in the border and ruin a year’s endeavour.

All herbaceous plants will be growing freely and will benefit from a feed of fertilizer or a drink of liquid manure.

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In the southern landscape and garden nature is in full swing.

Azaleas have their last feeding this month. Use an azalea and camellia fertilizer with a 4-8-5 or 5-10-10 formula. Where the plants are close together in beds spread 2 1/2 to 3 pounds over 100 square feet. For single plants feeding consists of 1/4 to 1 pound, depending upon the size of the plant. Do not scratch the fertilizer into the soil. Apply it to the surface and water it in.

Make cuttings of azaleas and camellias now. New wood should be half ripe in June. Watch for lace bugs on azaleas and scale on camellias. Oil emulsions are good when temperatures are not over 90 degrees.

Chrysanthemums are now growing actively. Keep them growing steadily through the summer months. That is the whole secret of good chrysanthemum culture. Once the plants are stunted by lack of food or moisture further growth is seriously impaired. Feed monthly and never let them dry out.

Flower seeds can still be sown, for there is time to have plenty of blooms on zinnias, petunias and marigolds. Perennials may also be sown now for next year’s bloom. Be sure to start these in a shaded area where the seedlings will not be injured by the hot, drying sun.

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In Northern United States and Canada

By the middle of the month at the latest all such bedding plants as Begonias, Cannas, Fuchsias, Geraniums, Heliotropes, Abutilons and Blood Leaf should be set in the location they are to decorate. Early June, too, is an appropriate time for planting Tomatoes, Peppers and Eggplants. Sow seeds of fast-growing annuals, such as Zinnias, Globe Amarants, Marigolds, Sweet Alyssum, Cosmos and Sunflowers, for a good display later. Continue to make regular sowings of Corn, Beets, Carrots, Lettuce and other crops of this type. Make modest sowings of Cabbage, Cauliflower and Broccoli.

Propagate Strawberries by runners to provide strong young plants for setting out in newly prepared beds in August. It is by no means too late to set,out Dahlias. Indeed, plantings made at this time usually do better than earlier ones. Plant, too, Gladioli, Montbretias, Caladiums, Tigridias and Tuberous Begonias. When the foliage has died is the best time to lift, separate and replant Narcissi that have been in position for some years and have become crowded and perhaps weakened.

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In the Western June garden, midway in the growing season, color abounds from almost every corner. Even the hard hit northwestern cities and towns, which reeled under the untimely November and December freezes, are coming back strongly.

From now on it is mainly a job of maintenance rather than planting. Mowing the lawn, watering and weeding the garden, pruning of spring flowering shrubs these are the jobs to be done now.

Annuals to sow: In the Pacific Northwest and Northern California lots of annuals can still be started from seed. If seed is sown now in the Southwest, and particularly in the hot sections of Arizona, the rows will need protection from the heat. Peatmoss serves as a perfect insulator in this case.

No matter where you are starting seeds in the West this month, be sure to provide them with a loose, porous soil. Some of the best annuals to sow are zinnias, marigolds, nasturtiums, portulaca, cosmos, salvia, cockscomb and sweet alyssum. All thrive in spite of hot weather. They will be dependable replacements for the bare spots in the spring border.

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It is starting to get very HOT during the month of June. You need to watch your watering especially with new plantings.

You can still successfully plant new plants. Make sure enough water is applied to thoroughly saturate the original root zone. Too often many folks apply “one gallon” of water, or leave their drip system on for only 15 minutes. It is NOT how long but how much water is used.

Conserving water in Southern New Mexico & West Texas is a BIG issue, so watering deeply and infrequently produces deeper roots which will in turn make plants much more tolerant to drier conditions once established.

Below is a list of plants and trees that will take “summer plantings” without suffering from summer stress!

Mesquite Tree

Desert Willow

Texas Sage

Red Yucca

Oleander

Bird of paradise

Vitex

Coreopsis

Salvia

Vinca

Portulaca

Purslane

Bottle Brush

Rabbit Brush

Apache Plume

Desert Marigold

Gailardia

Spanish Broom

Trumpet Vine

Silverlace Vine

Crape Myrtle

Lantana

Remember to use root stimulator and mulch with all your plantings. We recommend Ferti-Lome Root stimulator.

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