Floors Castle Garden Centre, Kelso, Scottish Borders: Things to do in June

Plant of the Month: Phygelius New Sensation

Phygelius is a vastly underrated group of semi-evergreen shrubs. They have spectacular flowers, not unlike a Fuschia, from mid-summer onwards. They do need a sheltered position in full sun with a well-drained soil, and although many books question the hardiness of these plants, we at Floors have found the plants to easily over-winter in temperatures as low as -12°C. Look out for this new and exclusive variety available Floors Castle Garden Centre for £6.99.

Tip of the Month:

Dead-head annuals regularly to promote a longer flowering period. Simply remove any faded flowers at the base of the stalk.
This prevents the plant from putting energy into seed production, diverting all it's energy into the production of fresh flower
growth. Give them a helping hand by feeding with a soluble plant fertiliser such as Phostrogen Plant Food.

Gardening Tasks:

Ö		The last frosts of the spring should have passed by now allowing all bedding plants to be safely planted outside.

Ö		Plant up containers using Westland Tub & Basket Compost which is formulated to retain moisture.

Ö		Prune the current year's growth of Wisteria to about five leaves to promote flowering

Ö		Prune Philadelphus and Weigela as they finish flowering, by cutting the old stems right down to the base.

Ö		Lift tulip bulbs as the foliage dies down, dry and store, ready for re-planting in the autumn.

Ö		Keep an eye out for aphid infestations, and spray at the first signs of attack with Bayer Ultimate Bug Killer.

Ö		Pond fish should be very active, and will require regular feeding with Nishikoi Fish Food.

Ö		Take cuttings of early flowering alpines, such as Aubretia , Arabis and Phlox.

Ö		Tie in roses regularly using strong twine or Flexi-Tie.

Ö		Check all hosepipes, connectors and spray heads and replace where necessary.

Ö		Continue to sow crops of vegetable seeds to ensure a good succession.

Ö		Feed tomatoes with Bayer Tomato Food.

Ö		Prune red-currant and white-currant bushes.

Ö		Apply Sulphate of Ammonia to apricot trees.

June Events at the Garden Centre:

Awaiting event details.