May issue - Magazine - Page 49
Glenside
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ACTIVITIES
JUNE GARDENING DIARY
Illustration © Oksanaok | Dreamstime.com
There was quite a reaction to my 'name of the month'
comments from the May 2026 edition of the usual
nonsense. So I thought I would annoy you all further by
commenting on the month of June.
June is well known for being the first really sunny
month of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. Research
shows that people born in the summer months are more
likely to be excessively optimistic and have sunny
personalities. In the USA June is holds the surprising
title of National Candy Month.
June is named after Juno, the ancient Roman
goddess of marriage and childbirth, and she is the queen
of the gods. Also, before Julius Caeser interfered with
the calendar, June was actually the fourth month of the
year and had only 29 days, so there!
The longest day is always in June, usually June 20th
or 21st, in the Northern Hemisphere anyway! June has
three birthstones, pearl, moonstone and the colourchanging alexandrite. It has two Birth Flowers: the rose,
symbolising love, and the honeysuckle, symbolising
happiness.
More importantly, what do you call a snowman in
June? A puddle!
What did August say when June claimed that today
is the last day of the month? Don't July to me!
What do you call someone who doesn't believe it is
June yet? A May-sayer!
The next time someone annoys you tell them that
they are like school in June. They have no class!
I just asked a teacher what their favourite part about
school was? They responded, “June, July and August”.
Knock, Knock. Who's there? Noah! Noah, who?
Noah good joke about June?
Why do pirates hate June, July and August? Because
they don't have any arrrrrrs in them!
Is there a month between April and June? There
May-be!
Did you hear about those people who were sick in
June after eating bacon that was past its sell-by date? It
was Mayhem and they were so poorly!
Some notable dates:
6th June D-Day in 1944.
th
8 June World Oceans Day.
10th June First Oxford v Cambridge boat race in 1829.
15th June King John signed the Magna Carta in 1215.
18th June The Duke of Wellington beat Napoleon at the
Battle of Waterloo in 1815.
th
19 June Robert Peel get Royal assent to form the first
modern police ofrce in London in 1829.
28th June. Queen Victoria was crowned in 1838.
So a lot has happened in June, and it's a time when we
are also very busy in the garden!
Best to get on with it then.
Jobs for the month
If you are growing runner beans plant a few sweet peas in
the same area. It will look brighter, smell sweet and
increase the chances of a better crop due to increased
pollination.
As the sun gets stronger ponds may become green, so
remove any algae by twisting it around a cane or a rake
then add it to the compost heap.
June is the month to hard prune the early flowering
clematis that have flowered. BE BRAVE.
Strawberry plants should be pegged down to encourage
layering. Also spread straw around the stems to keep the
developing fruit clear of the soil and therefore clean.
It should now be safe to put out hanging baskets and
bedding plants.
Remember to go on slug patrol every night when the
hungry chaps are out for their evening meal.
After flowering has completed, hard prune the lilacs,
Kerria japonica and flowering currants.
Do remember, however, to only lightly prune wisterias.
If you have a spare charabanc do consider converting it
into a greenhouse.
You are probably mowing every week now; the blades of
the mower may be lowered if you wish.
Copiously water newly repaired or newly laid lawns to
avoid the turves drying out.
Plant marrows, cucumbers, runner beans and French
beans outside.
Feed and weed lawns with either liquid or granular lawn
feed. You will be amazed at the improvement.
Dig out individual lawn weeds by hand but put them in
the green bin not on the compost heap.
Pick sweet peas every other day to keep them flowering
and smelling sweet. You can use the petals to make food
look pretty.
Mow off the daffodils in the lawn.
Lift and divide spring bulbs and replant the lifted plants
elsewhere in the garden to increase the display for next
year.
Be on the lookout for greenfly, black fly, etc.
As the temperature rises be sure to ventilate greenhouses,
etc, to avoid scorching of the plants within.
Pond plants would benefit from a pond
plant fertiliser and a top up of the
pond water when it is necessary.
Check climbers to see if they need
training upwards and sideways to
ensure full coverage of the trellis.
Enjoy a refreshing cup of tea or
coffee, sit back and enjoy the
fruits of your labour..
Happy gardening
David Penny
Page 49
