GARDENS
ANNA TAYLOR, OWNER OF ANNA’S FLOWER FARM IN AUDLEY END, SHARES WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE GARDEN THIS MONTH GARDEN GROW? How does your JUNE
sn’t June just lovely? The froth of the summer garden is beginning to simmer, like boiling milk in a pan. Now we can relish those long, light-
filled days and make hay while the sun shines. I find it difficult to really enjoy the present and perhaps, as gardeners, that is our nature. Each effort is made to gently nurture for the here and now, with an eye on the future. I find ease in that place, reflecting on what came before (what I didn’t manage to do or missed), grateful for the seasons in front of me and reminding myself what to do down the line. It keeps me returning every day and I get so much energy from simply being here. I find June a tricky time to get the planting just right. Spring, with bulbs, perennials and blossoming trees, is always so welcoming after the long winter, while the abundant summer harvest is fairly easy to work towards; this month straddles the two ‘seasons’. In my classes and planning, I talk of five flowering seasons, with June being in the early summer. This one takes some effort to think about and plan for. Hence, gardens are often a little light right now. To counter that, I’ve been building up the June display for several years. Some of the loveliest perennials and shrubs flower in this month, reliably
STAND OUT The spears of purple irises are a welcome sight this month
returning year after year with little effort once established. Think roses, peonies, irises and lillies. However, these can always do with some supporting acts, as they tend to stand quite alone in a border, with the hangover of spring withering beneath their dresses and the summer party swishing on a rising tide. There aren’t many plants that readily bloom in June, so I fall on a cast of biennials, foxgloves, honesty, sweet williams and sweet rocket. Biennials are those that grow from seed the first year, creating leaf, then flower the next. Our biennials are even better the third year. Often highly scented, creating movement and height, these plants help blur the edges, with naturalistic drifts of
in a sheltered spot, by September you can then plant out, so that they spread their roots, before bursting into flower late next spring. By adding these plants to your garden, the edges of the seasons are softened and one gently rolls on to the next, achieving that oft-desired tapestry of colour and texture. By midsummer, flowers know that the longest day starts the flowering season proper. The pendulum of the year starts swinging back, with nights slowly drawing in. Our main task is to encourage great flowering, prolonging the performance. Plants want to live – it’s their raison d’être to bloom, attracting pollinators, ensuring their legacy in the next generation lives on. We don’t really need to do much more once planted: get out every week with the hoe, feed the plants late in the evening, tie in growth and always be deadheading. Most of all, take every opportunity to lay among those flowers! Anna is a garden coach, writer and teacher, growing flowers from the magical plots at Anna’s Flower Farm, Audley End. Find out more at annasflowerfarm.com
planting and gentle self-sowing. Easily germinated now in trays or pots outside ACHIEVE THAT OFT-DESIRED TAPESTRY OF COLOUR
82 JUNE 2022 CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK
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