Island Life Magazine Ltd June/July 2009 | Page 75

GARDENING Gardening reminders for June/July Californian poppies especially when seedlings are emerging. Thin out. Set beer traps to keep the slugs away. summer, and comes in pale orangey-yellows and brilliant white. then paint herbicide glysophate with a small paintbrush on the leaves. Hardy annuals to try Centaurea cyanus Tropaeolum majus (nasturtium) The cheery hot-coloured flowers of this trailing plant will give a quick and easy display. For smaller borders look out for compact and dwarf types. The buds can be pickled as a substitute for capers, and the flowers are edible, making a great addition to summer salads. For lovers of blue flowers, try the dwarf cornflower. There are many cultivated forms too with more showy double flowers, coming in other colours such as black and pink. Missed the spring blitz in the veg garden? Don’t worry there’s still plenty you can sow and plant now. Eschscholzia californica (Californian poppy) Poppy-like flowers in shades of rose pink, fiery orange, and lemon yellow. These annuals look good in a seaside or gravel garden. Clarkia elegans (clarkia) Produces branched plants that bear deeply cut, lilac-purple flowers. Sow en masse for a dramatic display. Dimorphotheca aurantiaca Formerly known as annual Osteospermum, this pretty daisy-like plant will easily perk up the borders in late life Where to find them: Thompson and Morgan seed packets at good garden centres www.chilternseeds.co.uk Hey good looking Keep the garden looking good at this time of year by regular deadheading, feeding and watering. Grouping pots together makes for easier watering and gives more impact. If you’re going away on holiday, consider investing in a timed watering system for your containers – there are some reasonably priced, easy-to-assemble models widely available, such as Hozelock’s Aqua Pod. Edging the lawn and staking unruly perennials instantly perks up the garden. To get rid of pernicious bindweed, allow it to grow up a cane, and The Island's most loved magazine • French and runner beans can be sown in June for a later crop. • Carrots can be sown until the end of July; by sowing either now, you’ll avoid root fly too. • Purchased plants of leeks and most brassicas can be planted out. • Sow beetroot until early July for tender beets through autumn. • Towards the end of June, sow for autumn salads (mizuna, rocket, endives and chicories). • Clear algae, blanket weed and debris from ponds, and keep them topped up. • Regularly water peppers and tomatoes to avoid blossom end rot developing on the fruits later. Pick courgettes before they become marrows. • Inspect your lilies for the lily beetle – although this shiny red insect may be easy on the eye, it’s hungry larvae won’t be so easy on your plants. Squish by hand. • Mulch the borders with organic matter to keep the soil moist and the weeds down (apply when soil is wet and weed-free). • If you have an infestation of fungus gnats (they look like fruit flies) in houseplants, reduce watering immediately. Top-dress the pots and water from the bottom. 75